


Chiaroscuro

by whispered_weavings



Series: Chiaroscuro: The Series [1]
Category: Avatar (Sweden Band), Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: A Slight Case of Death, A slight case of satanic possession, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Blindfolds, Blood Play, Demonic Imagery, Double Penetration, Double Vaginal Penetration, Dubious Consent, Dubiously Consensual Blow Jobs, Extracurricular use of a sex toy handle, F/M, Food Play, Gags, Glove Kink, Handcuffs, Light Bondage, M/M, Oral Sex, References to Abuse, Restraints, Rough Sex, Spanking, Threesome, Threesome - F/M/M, Torture, breast slapping, brief discussion of sexuality - Freeform, grappling with one's sexual orientation, pharmacological shenanigans, punishment as foreplay, some suicidal leanings, spanking in a ... non-traditional place, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 05:02:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 41
Words: 215,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14927619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whispered_weavings/pseuds/whispered_weavings
Summary: In which you wake up in a certain Satanic church in Sweden, and begin to discover that things are ...  not what they seem.





	1. Chapter 1

You dream of bells. Chiming, tolling the hour…one, two, three, four…calling the faithful…five, six, seven, eight…church bells. Church bells? You sit bolt upright. You’re not dreaming. Church bells are tolling. If you’re not mistaken, somewhere above your head. And the incredibly comfortable–and massive, twenty people could fit on this thing!–bed you’re sitting on is not yours. Neither is the room the bed is sitting in. And… a fireplace? A whole living room? Where the hell are you?

Shakily you stand, looking around in shock. This room…it is beautiful, with its black, gold, and purple decor, but…you’ve never been somewhere this fancy before in your entire life. And you have no idea how you got here. “Okay, okay, just…calm down. Think. The last place I was at was…the concert! And it was incredible…and then…I went looking for a bathroom, and then…and then…” You start to pace, biting at the skin around your thumbnail. “I can’t remember…why can’t I remember?”

You walk over to one of the windows and look out into the gathering dusk of early evening. You don’t recognize the landscape you gaze upon, but the stone walls make you think of the churches from your childhood. “How the hell did I end up in a…a church of all places?”

You frown. If possible, you preferred never stepping in a church at all, ever. So why were you brought to one against your will? You turn from the window and look around again, spotting a desk a short distance away from the fireplace. Quickly you walk over, looking through the papers, and you frown. “These…there’s three separate languages here… This one looks like Latin, and this one Italian, and this one…is this Swedish?” you mutter to yourself.

“Well, we are in Sweden, currently,” a silky voice says from near the door.

You yelp and drop the papers as though they were on fire, and turn to see… “P-Papa?!”

You stare. You pinch yourself, yank on a lock of your hair. He’s still standing there. “I. Am. Hallucinating,” you say out loud, because there’s no possible way that Papa Emeritus the Third, the object of some of the most fierce obsessing you’ve ever done in your time on this planet, is standing in this insanely beautiful, rich-looking room.

He chuckles, soft, low, and utterly sexy, and he pushes off the door and starts walking. If one considers a slow, hip-rolling-with-a-smirk-that-makes-sweat-pop-out-on-your-brow prowl to be a way of walking. Then you realize that he’s coming over to you and you squeak and back up, eyes wide and face red.

“Hallucinating, hallucinating, for the love of the gods, hallucinating!” you whisper-chant as you stutter-step backward, your knees wobbling and your hands suddenly shaking.

He pats his own arms, gives himself a pinch. “Trust me, I am here. You are not hallucinating.” As he nears you, he reaches out one gloved hand, gently takes your hand, and brings it to his lips. “Hello. How are you feeling?”

It is taking every ounce of willpower you possess to keep from collapsing in a faint. “What the hell are you doing here?” you ask, your voice almost nothing because you can’t breathe.

He laughs again, but it’s not unkind. “Well, I do live here, my lovely.” You notice acutely that he hasn’t yet let go of your hand. “You caused quite a commotion last night. Do you remember anything?”

“I…I-I…there was the concert…y-you all were incredible…and then I woke up here…I’m sorry if I did something wrong!” you say, panicking at the thought that you might have caused trouble for him last night somehow.

“No, no, you did nothing wrong, please don’t think that for even a minute.” Still holding your hand, he lightly rests his other hand on the small of your back and gently pulls you over to the couch. “Here, let us sit before you fall down, and we can have a little chat. Do you need anything?”

You feel the muscles in your back shudder in pleasure at his touch, and you clamp your throat down on a whimper. “Some…s-some water w-would be nice…”

“Of course, little one.” He makes sure you’re sitting down before going behind the counter of a lavish mini-bar. He fills a crystal glass with ice and water and comes back, handing it to you with a flourish.

You take the glass with shaking hands. Papa Emeritus the Third just served me a glass of water, you think. What just happened to my life? “I..I-I’m so sorry if I’m being rude, I just…honestly, I don’t understand a thing that’s happening…how did I get here? With you? And where IS here? What …” You take a drink and clear your throat. “What is going on?”

He sits next to you, turning gracefully so that one knee is bent, nearly touching your thigh on the cushion. His arm rests on the back of the couch, and his cheek rests on his gloved palm, and the soft smile/smirk, combined with his half-lidded eyes, nearly makes your eyes roll back in your head. “Well, my ghuleh, as I said, we are currently in Sweden. At our Clergy headquarters, to be precise. We brought you here after you saw…well, some things you should not have, I’m afraid.”

You’re still finding it hard to breathe—look at him sitting there! next to you!! CALLING YOU GHULEH!!—and you’re staring for so long that the silence becomes a little awkward. You startle. “Oh, I’m sorry…I shouldn’t… what did I see? The ghouls without their masks?”

Papa chuckles. “Something like that. There was a…disagreement between my ghouls and … the members of Avatar. And you happened to…walk into the middle of it. It seemed safer if we took you with us.”

You look down, mostly because if you looked at him any more you’d stop breathing, but partly to gather your thoughts. “I wouldn’t have told anyone…”

He sighs softly and pats your knee. “My dear, it is not that simple. We have rules that must be upheld. Besides…I fear that…” He hesitates, then sighs again. “Never mind. I do not want to put too much on you at once.”

You frown. “Well, if it was just a fight then I don’t see … wait, you guys and the guys from Avatar don’t get along? I didn’t realize…”

“It wasn’t always like that. Kungen had seemed open, even if not too enthusiastic, about an alliance. But…then apparently he decided he did not want to, since he started letting all sorts of unwarranted insults about our Church fly.” He scowls. “If he did not want to in the first place…” Then he looks at you again. “But I do not want to worry you more than necessary. Your memories will come back in the next few days.”

You slowly shake your head. “What…why…I don’t understand why I’m having a hard time remembering everything. Did I hit my head?”

Again Papa hesitates. “In a manner of speaking.” You wait for him to say more but he doesn’t.

“Wait … so the Church of Ghost is… a real church? And I’m in it? I thought that was all…well, all part of the act!”

Papa chuckles. “That is what we want you to think, my ghuleh. That is what we want all the fans to think. The reality is…much more complicated. And, I am sorry, but I cannot discuss it with you.” You open your mouth to argue, but he presses his finger to your lips. You gasp, face heating up again at the intimate touch, and he smirks, leaning forward, eyes flicking to your lips for a second before catching your gaze again. “I know, you are caught up in this now. And things will be revealed as time goes on. But you must be patient.”

You start breathing again when he moves his finger away, but you are still caught in his gaze, and you finally understand what romance writers mean when they write about drowning in someone’s eyes. “I… patience isn’t one of my strong suits,” you whisper as you gaze at his two different-colored eyes. “Am I… Am I safe here?”

Papa smiles, eyes half-lidding again. “As far as I know, yes. We have good security.” He checks the clock on the wall and sighs. “Apologies, but duty calls. I will return in a few hours. Help yourself to anything in my bar, and if you get hungry there is a Sister of Sin outside the door, you can ask her to send an order to the kitchens.” He stands, and you follow suit to be polite. Then he steps forward, puts one hand on the small of your back, one on the back of your head, and he presses his lips to first one cheek, then the other. “Welcome to our Church, my ghuleh.” Then he turns and strides for the door, and you fight to breathe again.

“Did that just happen?” you whisper as you melt back into the couch, putting your hands on your cheeks as if to hold the touch of his lips there. “Oh my gods, did that just happen??” You giggle and stomp your feet on the floor. You stare at the ceiling, and start to think, and your giddy feeling fades a bit. You’re filled with questions, and the one that keeps coming back to you is, what did you see that made the members of the band Ghost decide to whisk you to Sweden?

You try so hard to think back, to remember. You stand and pace again, remembering the end of the show, cheering your heart out as they took their bows. Then you remember going to look for a bathroom…you remember a security girl giving you directions…and then nothing. Absolutely nothing. You groan and rub your eyes, and suddenly you hear a thump near the open window.

At first you think it’s a bird but there’s a second thump, really loud, and that doesn’t sound like a bird at all. You rise up from the couch and head to the window…you’re only a handful of steps away when a long, large hand slaps down on the windowsill…from outside the window. You gasp…because you know you’re on the third story of this stone building…and you take a step back. You swallow hard, fear rising sharp and thick in your throat as a second hand slaps down next to the first. How could…this isn’t…

In the time that you talked to Papa, the moon had risen. It hangs high in the sky, full and stark white, silhouetting the face that rises over the sill. A fedora rests on long, black hair, and red and black clown makeup emphasizes a terrifying grin. But it’s…it’s one you know. This is… “Johannes…?” Once again you pinch yourself, just to make sure.

Unless you are indeed hallucinating, the front man for Avatar is peering over the window ledge…leering at you…and he doesn’t look friendly at all. You take another step back as he pulls himself up. “What…is…going…on?” you whisper as you step back again.

“If you don’t know, darling, I’m not about to tell you,” the clown growls. “It’s more fun when I make you guess.”

“I-I’m already guessing at a lot right now…I-I’d really appreciate—”

He laughs, throwing his head back as he stands up from the crouch he’d sunk into when he’d hopped down from the sill. “Appreciate? Oh, I’m sure you won’t, darling.”

He rises to his full height, and your eyes follow him all the way up. It’s one thing to know someone is tall…it’s another thing entirely to see that height in person. Your heart stutters. You’ve loved Avatar for quite some time and have always been fascinated with Johannes … but this Johannes … you thought the whole clown thing was just a stage schtick, but he’s really… terrifying. He grins and starts forward, making this odd little skipping motion as he walks, first to the right, then to the left, moving toward you the whole time. He prowls around you, examining every inch of you, facial expressions changing depending on what he’s looking at, from a deeply terrifying grin at your pulse fluttering in your neck, to an exaggerated o-shaped mouth and wide eyes as he looks at your ass.

“Sooooooooooo…” he drawls, dragging that one word out for several syllables. “You’re the one who saw things she shouldn’t have.” He pauses, somewhere behind you, then his face is suddenly at your side, and you let out a little scream. “Are you always naughty like that?”

“I…I don’t know what you mean…” you whisper.

The clown giggles as he sidles around you. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s not nice to fib?” He brings his face down close to yours, nose practically touching yours. “Especially not to me. I can smell fibs.” He inhales in an exaggerated manner. “I think you know what I mean, little girl.”

You swallow hard, taking a step back, but he just follows you, matching each of your steps, and pretty soon it’s like you’re dancing around each other. It makes his grin all the wider, and he lifts his arms as if he were really dancing. “I-I…P-Papa said–”

“Oh, Papa said, Papa said,” he mocks, voice raising into a childlike imitation of your voice. “What did Papa say, little giiiiirl?”

You flush at him mocking you like that, but plow on. “Well, I don’t remember what happened. My memory cuts out before I…remember what it was I wasn’t supposed to see. So I um…sort of don’t know what you mean. But Papa said that my memory should come back in a couple of days…”

He tilts his head to one side as you speak, and you don’t know how his grin is getting larger, but it is. “Sooooooooo it’s a good thing I got here when I did then, isn’t it? Timing is everything, you know.” And his wild laugh bubbles out of him.

Slowly you edge backward, hoping you’re getting close to the door. “I… I… are you here for Papa? I can go… get him…” You start to turn…

One second he is a few feet away, still with that enormous grin splitting his face; the next he has one arm wrapped around your waist and a dagger at your throat. “No, no need to get your precious Papa… I’m here to visit you, darling… this is a private party and he’s not invited.”

You freeze, fear hitting your guts like a ton of bricks. You tremble in his arms as you try to make any kind of sense of what’s happening. “J-Johannes..I…I-I don’t understand…I’m a fan, I-I love Avatar, w-why…why are you doing this?”

“Because I like to feel you tremble,” he says with a wild laugh. “And I have very specific orders to enjoy that trembling while it lasts.”

“O-Orders? W-What? I-I…”

“My king! Come on, I know you’re scared, little one, but try to keep up!” He grins, nose running over the shell of your ear.

You gasp a little, not sure if it’s from fear or desire … could be both … “Who…what…”

“When. Where. Why. So many questions, so little time,” he says. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” He runs the blade of his dagger along the skin of your neck, up one side of your face, down the other, along the tops of your breasts… “We’ve got fucking and killing to get done, you and I…”

You inhale sharply at the touch of the blade, then gasp at his words. “W-Wait, fucking?! And then…”

“Oh yes, fucking. I’m going to make you come before you go!” And he lets loose that maniacal cackle again. Which is promptly cut short as you stomp as hard as you can on his instep. He yelps in pain, backing off a bit, and you bolt for the door, mouth opening to scream for help.

“Ohnoyoudon’t,” he says on a grunt and he grabs you from behind. “Gotcha!” One hand clamps tight over your mouth, while he pulls you hard against him. “Tricksy trickster you are. Maybe I’ll just kill you…maybe you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

Tears spill down your face, and you shake your head no as best you could. You didn’t want to die, not by the hand of one your favorite musicians, not when you had no idea what was going on. He laughs in your ear. “I know, I know, you don’t want me to do it…sweet little thing like you has so much to live for…but orders are orders, after all…” You feel him grin against your hair. “And the sweeter the person, the sweeter their terror!” He laughs in delight as you sob into his hand.

You start chanting “please don’t, please don’t” into his hand, and he mutters, “What are you saying, I wonder.” He grins. “I’m gonna take my hand off your mouth…don’t scream, or I’ll just kill you. Ya with me?” he asks, and you nod frantically.

He slowly takes his hand off your mouth, and you whisper, “Please don’t kill me, please, I’ll do anything you want, just please…please don’t kill me.”

He pauses, grinds against you. “Anything I want?”

“Anything. I swear.”

He grins again, and he growls, “On your knees.” You shakily do as he says, tears still rolling down your cheeks, and he smirks and fists his hand in your hair. “You’re gonna blow me, girly. Make it good enough, and maybe I’ll think about considering letting you live.” He laughs and presses your tear-stained face against his clothed erection.

You nod against him. “O-Okay, okay, I will,” you say shakily, and you hastily reach for the fastenings on his pants.

“Like you mean it now, sell it to me,” he says. You slow down, trying to draw it out, your gaze fixed on his pants. “That’s it…”

You look up at him as he’s looking down at you…your eyes meet, and something shifts in his eyes, deep inside. You’re not sure what you see, but it’s not just the look of a crazy killer clown…there’s someone else there, someone…scared? What could this clown possibly be frightened of?

You swallow, and you remember what Papa said about the king. Is…is Johannes being forced to be a monster? He seems to be enjoying it way too much to be forced into it… His pants drop, and you peel his boxers down, and you gasp at the size of his erection. He is…definitely proportionate to his height…

He wraps a hand around the base, pumps himself slowly. “Go ahead,” he says, “convince me… show me how much you want to live…”

You swallow, and put your mind to the task, trying to pretend it was just a job. You wrap your lips around his tip and suckle softly, tongue fluttering against the sensitive reservoir on the underside of the head. He groans, then grins and suddenly shoves his hips forward, and he hits the back of your throat, making you gag around him.

You pull back a little, looking up at his grin with tears in your eyes…and as he looks down at you his grin falters and his eyes shift again. You grab the backs of his thighs, let your fingers spread out across his skin, and you take his cock to the back of your throat again, but you control the movement so you don’t gag. Your tongue dances along the length of him…you moan a little…

Suddenly he pulls you off him, growling, “Change of plans. I’m fucking you, and you’re going to come around my cock. Something… Something feels different, and I don’t fucking like it.” That look in his eyes, that trapped look right in the back of his gaze, hasn’t gone away…

“Okay. Okay,” you say softly, and as you stand he fists his hands in your shirt and rips it open down the middle.

A startled little cry erupts from you as the shirt rips, and when he uses his grip on the shirt to yank you into him, you gasp. You’re painfully close…so close you can see that trapped look clearly… The clown growls and although at first you think its anger, you quickly realize it’s also confusion. He stares at you for a long moment, then with another growl he smashes his lips on yours.

Johannes is…he’s kissing you…if you weren’t so terrified you’d be absolutely thrilled. Your emotions war with each other, wanting to be happy about this, but considering that he wants to kill you, you don’t want to be happy about it either… Finally, you say enough, and you push your emotions to the side and focus on kissing him back. Maybe if you can figure out what’s making him so confused, you can survive this… Besides, you think giddily, he’s such an amazing kisser. You moan into his mouth, the taste of his makeup and something just…him…flooding your senses. He smells like the night air, something wild that makes you want to lose yourself…

He tears himself away from your lips and glares at you. “What are you doing to me?”

You blink. “I…I’m not doing anything…”

“Bullshit. I never kiss anyone. Why do I suddenly want to kiss you?”

“I don’t know–” He slams his mouth back down onto yours again.

You know your lips are going to be bruised later, but you don’t care right now. Your arms come up, gently wrapping around his shoulders, and your hands delve into his hair. He growls again against your lips, but he doesn’t move your limbs. More confusion rushes in—you don’t understand where this sudden urge to help him comes from. He told you up front he was going to kill you. So why…?

His tongue demands entrance and you open up, allowing him in. Soon your tongues are tangling with each other, and you press even closer to him. It no longer matters why he showed up here, what he intends to do… you want him like you’ve never wanted anyone before.

His hands slide down your back, gripping onto your ass for a moment, before grabbing your thighs and lifting you as if you weigh nothing at all. You cry out into his mouth as he slams you into the wall, and his hands tear open your jeans, all but ripping them off your body. The clown side of him is screaming to just kill you, that something is wrong, but he can’t…can’t stop…

His cock slides along your folds and you cry out into his mouth as you feel your inner walls clench and juice seeps out of you. “Take me, go ahead, take me,” you gasp, and his cock finds your entrance and he thrusts home, both of you crying out together. He presses his temple against yours as he thrusts, and you hang on to his shoulders for dear life.

Your mind is hazy, you have no idea what is going on, how it changed from you begging for your life to a mutual need. But he feels so good inside you, and your hands slide over his back, gripping into his shirt, knocking the hat from his head. He pulls back to look at your face as he pounds into you, and the look in his eyes is…endless, depthless pain, but recognition. It is as if he is surfacing from a pool that he’d been in for years…gently, hesitantly, you cup his cheeks, and he shudders against you and leans into your touch.

“Who…who are you?” he says on a low growl as he shifts his position just enough that his cock starts hitting your g-spot. Your head smacks against the wall, your mouth drops open in a soundless gasp, and he increases his pace from fast to brutally fast. “Who are you?”

“I’m … just….a girl…” You shudder around his cock as you begin to come, and he throws his head back and lets out a full-throated roar as he begins to spurt hot jets of come deep inside you.

You can’t speak, you can’t think, all you can do is shudder and cling to him. His arms wrap around you as he sinks to the floor, and you watch in shock as what you thought was makeup around his eyes and mouth slowly…vanishes. He shudders in turn, burying his face into your neck. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, what did I do, what have I done?!” And, to your shock, he starts screaming.

You don’t know what to do….quite frankly, so much has happened so quickly that you feel like joining him…but instinct kicks in. You wrap your arms around him tightly, and you rock him, gently, whispering, “Ok, it’s ok, you’ll be ok” over and over until it is nearly a wordless chant. His screams turn into sobs as you rock back and forth. Then the door slams open.

Papa strides in, a scowl on his face, when he sees the two of you on the floor. “What…” Then he gets a good look at the man on the floor and his eyes widen, and before you can react Papa has Johannes up against the wall, arm around his throat. “You will not hurt her!”

You scramble to your feet, ignoring your torn shirt and destroyed jeans hanging open below your hips. “Papa, it’s ok–”

“How dare you come in here to this unholy sanctuary, to MY ROOMS, and harm this woman!” He shoves Johannes against the wall, and again.

“Papa, really, I’m all right–”

Johannes rolls his head back and starts laughing, a wild-sounding laugh that would scare you if you didn’t know the pain it is hiding. “Go ahead, pope, kill me, I deserve it…”

“I am sorely tempted, clown–”

“STOP!!” you shout, and both men stop and look at you. “I am ok. He didn’t hurt me, Papa, I swear.”

Papa stares at you. “He…he raped you! My ghuleh, he raped you! And don’t fucking think I didn’t notice this!” He reaches into the clown’s sleeve and pulls out the dagger. “You…you have no idea…Johannes isn’t just the front man for Avatar, my ghuleh! He’s the king’s assassin!”

You swallow hard as another pang of a fear works its way down your spine. “I…I kinda figured that out when he threatened to kill me. But…Papa…look into his eyes. Really look. He’s…hurting. He’s as trapped as he had me.” Both men’s eyes are on you, and you blush and try to pull your pants up and your shirt together at the same time.

Papa does as you ask, looking to Johannes, but the clown is staring at you, an unreadable expression on his face. “Look at me.” Johannes ignores him. “LOOK AT ME!” Papa grabs Johannes roughly by the chin and forces him to turn his head and look at him. “Damn you, you….” Papa’s voice trails off as he looks in Johannes’s eyes and sees…unfathomable pain and…sorrow. “What…what happened to you?”

Johannes tears his face out of Papa’s grip and goes right back to staring at you. “She happened. She… did something…”

Papa slaps Johannes upside the head. “You dare to blame her for your actions?”

“My actions are…well, they aren’t really my own, haven’t been for….a long time.” Johannes shakes his head, as much as he can considering he’s still pinned at the neck. “No, she…did…something…she broke something in me….set me….free.”

You flush under his gaze, and it’s too much after what just happened. You turn for the bathroom and start making your way over, and Johannes immediately starts yelling. “NO! DON’T LEAVE, DON’T GO, NO NO NONONO!” The door shuts behind you and you hear Papa yell in pain. You hear a scuffle as you slide down the wall, you hear Papa yell again as you press your forehead to your knees, and then the door slams open and Johannes is there, all but tackling you and wrapping himself around you as if you were a lifeline.

You yelp, try to push him away. “Stop, Johannes, stop!”

He pulls back a little, swallows, makes a concerted effort to chill. “I…I’m s-s-sorry.” He says it like a man who seldom apologizes. “I just…I don’t… Did I hurt you?”

You shake your head. “No…scared the living shit out of me, but I’m not hurt. I promise,” you say. “Can I… can I just have a couple of seconds? It’s been a hell of an evening…”

He nods, hesitates, then kisses your forehead. “Sure. I… I need a minute myself.” He goes out to the main room, closes the bathroom door, sighs, and looks up only for Papa to punch his jaw.

“You fucking asshole.”

“Yeah, I am. I know it. Punch me some more if you want, it’s fine.” He rubs his jaw. “I…I’m sorry for…breaking in. My king…sent me.”

Papa stares at the clown. “And how do I know you aren’t going to try to hurt her again?”

Johannes starts pacing, the heel of his hand unconsciously rubbing hard at his forearm, and every few seconds he glances at the bathroom door, wanting it to open. “I shit you not, pope, something happened. It’s like…like I was under a spell and now I’m not. And it’s because of her.”

Papa scowls. “Because of her. Clown, you will allow me to look at your energy, right now.” It is not a question. Johannes nods, and Papa grabs his chin again and forces their gazes together. The clown can’t help it, he gasps as he becomes the focus of that two-toned stare, and he feels Papa’s energy inside his own. “There’s…you have two different energies. How…?”

Johannes blinks. “I don’t know…but it has something to do with her. One minute I was… I was prepared to…kill her, and the next minute, I was…it was like I was coming up for air after drowning for decades. The clown…the king’s assassin is still there. But I am…I am myself again too.”

Papa stares at him, but then their attention is captured by the door opening. You step out, sniffling slightly, eyes on the floor as you attempt to hold your tattered clothes together. Your panties are gone, destroyed, and your pants have been ripped down the front seam. “I-I’m sorry, Papa, c-could…could I borrow some clothes?” And you sound so lost that Papa can barely hold back from hitting Johannes again.

“Of course, my ghuleh, you do not even need to ask,” Papa says as he goes to a closet and pulls out a button-down shirt and a pair of black pants and hands them to you gently. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, I’m good, this is good. Thank you.” And you go back into the bathroom, the door shutting with a soft click.

“I could kill you where you stand, clown,” Papa growls.

“Well, get in line. Fucking christ, I want to throw myself under a bus.”

The door opens again and you step out, hands shaking as you hug your old clothes to your chest. “D-Do…do you have a trashcan, o-or…?”

“Here, I’ll take care of them. Why don’t you sit on the couch? I’ll make you a drink, what do you like?” He takes your clothes from you, but you don’t hear his question over the roaring in your ears. It’s too much, today has been too much and you…

“I don’t…feel so good…” you murmur, and then your eyes roll back into your head and you pass out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you and Johannes get a little closer

“Fucking christ!” Both Papa and Johannes catch you, one man on either side of you as your body goes limp and heads for the floor. At Papa’s glare, Johannes gives you entirely over to him, and he places you gently on the couch. “Get a wet cold washcloth for her,” Papa commands as he undoes a button or two on the shirt you’re wearing.  


The clown rushes into the bathroom, grabbing the washcloth next to the sink and wetting it down. He runs back out and to the couch, hesitating before handing it over. “...may I...?”  


“No,” Papa snaps and wrenches it from Johannes’s grasp. He kneels next to you, gently sponging your forehead and neck, a tender, worried look on his face. “...I feel bad enough that we had to kidnap her. But to have failed to protect her as well...”  


Johannes closes his eyes, in shame, but then he opens them and says, “Well, yes, your security does kind of suck, but to be fair, you weren’t prepared for a citizen of Avatar Country...few are.”  


A muscle tics in Papa’s jaw, and his voice is too controlled when he asks, “And why, pray tell, does that matter? I know you can shift into wolves, but I think my people would have noticed a giant wolf running along the halls.”  


Johannes smirks, and a hint of a cackle escapes his lips. “Not just wolves.” He collects his energy, centers it in his core, and in another beat, a massive black raven is standing where Johannes had been. “Fuck!” Papa shouts in surprise. “You have more than one form?!” He quickly gets control of himself. “That...would have been good to know…”  


The raven spreads its wings out, flaps them enough that it rises up a little bit, then it settles on the floor again, and Johannes is back. “Yeah, well, we wouldn’t dream of telling all our secrets right off the bat.”  


Papa scowls, though his hand stays gentle on your face. “Why does your king want her dead? And...” He stands, facing Johannes. “Are you still going to try? Because you will fail, and I will kill you.”  


The grin that usually crosses Johannes’s face has disappeared. “He wants her gone for the same reason you and your ghouls took her -- he thinks she saw too much. Avatar Country has its secrets to protect, just as your church does.” Johannes straightens to his full height, which is damned impressive. “I promise you, I’ll kill myself before I try to kill her, ever again. I...” A look of confusion crosses his face. “Pope, I don’t get it, I hardly know her, but I am gonna protect her til my dying day.” He sinks to his knees. “I swear it.”  


Papa watches him. “You’ll have to forgive me if I do not believe you right away. But...she did not want me to hurt you, and she is the injured party in this. I will respect her wishes. You may walk free, and so long as you are gentle with her...you may act as her guardian while she is here.” Grudgingly, he says, “After disobeying your king like this, it may not be a good idea for you to return to Avatar Country...” His gaze softens. “And for that, you have my pity.” And he offers Johannes the washcloth.  


Johannes looks at the washcloth, a frown creasing his brow. He hadn’t thought about the consequences of not following his orders. He rolls his shoulders and the too-familiar pull of scar tissue reminds him... but protecting you is far more important. “I don’t want your pity,” Johannes growls as he crawls to you and gently dabs your forehead, neck, and wrists. “But thank you for letting me stay.”  


Papa sighs heavily, rubbing his forehead. “I must return to my meeting. Trying to smooth feathers your king ruffled is...not simple.” He glares at the clown. “If she is harmed when I return, I will find you and boil the blood in your veins.” He doesn’t wait for an answer, but turns and stomps out.  


“Fuckin’ got it,” Johannes mutters as he gazes down at you. Your eyelids are fluttering, and he sits back, instinctively giving you space as you come to. “Are you ok?” he asks quietly.  


Blearily, you nod. “Yes.” You look around. “How did I get on the couch?”  


“You fainted. Papa laid you here.” You struggle to sit up and he reaches to help, then hesitates, waiting for you to flinch or swat him away. When you don’t, he supports you by your arm and back, and you sit up, your head feeling a little swimmy. “I’ll get you water,” he says, looking around. It’s foreign, this need to help, to take care of you...he moves like someone unaccustomed to gravity. But as he hands you a glass of water, and you say thank you and drink, a strange feeling washes over him....he’s not sure what to call it. “I’ll um...give you some privacy...” He starts to move away.  


You grab his hand. “No, don’t... you don’t have to... I’d rather not be alone.”  


He blinks down at you, shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously. “...you’re fucking weird.”  


“Tell me something I don’t know,” you mutter with a smile.  


“No, seriously. You don’t want to be alone because you’re scared, so you’d rather stay with the man that scared you in the first place. I don’t...I don’t fucking understand.”  


“You think I understand any of this? Johannes, I woke up to find out that I was kidnapped, got assaulted and almost killed, in one night! By my favorite bands, who are apparently not anything the fans think they are.”  


“All right, you got me there. But still--”  


You continue. “So the only thing I can think to do is stay calm and figure shit out, and I can’t do that if I’m alone. So.” You look up at him, then look away. “Besides, I still see you as I’ve always seen you, and I doubt that will change so there’s that.”  


Johannes is torn...he wants to know, but knows he probably shouldn’t ask... “Fuck it. How have you always seen me....us?”  


You blush faintly, looking down, rubbing a finger along the rim of the glass nervously. “...you’re amazing. You’re all amazing. You, specifically? I think that...well, you’re incredible. You’re one of the best vocalists I’ve ever heard, your stage presence is out of this fucking world, you’re intelligent in interviews...all the band is like that. And every single one of you is unfairly sexy.”  


Johannes stares at you. “You really think that? Even now?”  


You nod. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think it.”  


“That’s .... thank you.” Then, suddenly, “Wait....’unfairly sexy’? What does that even mean?” He looks at you with one eyebrow raised.  


You can’t help the blush that overtakes your skin. “Uh...w-well...you’re all so beautiful, Johannes...” You look down at the water in your hands. “Every man in the band is just supremely gorgeous...that’s why it’s not fair.”  


“But how... I still don’t see how it’s unfair.”  


“Are you actually going to make me say it?” you say, voice nearly a squeak. You give him side eye and he shrugs. “Oh gods... it’s not fair because there’s no break. I can’t look at one of you and just be all ‘oh he’s all right, I guess’...it’s a constant barrage of heat no matter which direction I turn. It’s ... it leaves me ...”  


Johannes can’t help it. “Hot? Wet?”  


Your blush gets redder. “Bothered.”  


The man smirks. “I have always enjoyed being...bothersome.”  


“I’m sure,” you say, taking a sip of water.  


“And do you feel the same way about the pope?”  


“What person who is alive, has eyes, and likes men doesn’t feel that way about Papa? He is literally sex on legs.”  


Johannes chuckles. “I don’t think I’ve ever thought about it...but...yeah, I guess he’s got a certain...something.” He sits on the couch, not too close. “Do you always do that?”  


“What?” You try to play dumb but you know where this is going.  


“Blush like crazy.”  


“No of course not,” you lie and your blush intensifies.  


He smirks. “I think you’re lying.”  


“W-What if I am?” you return, the tips of your ears turning pink.  


“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter...I do like seeing you turn these colors though.” He grins, reaching out and touching your blush. “It’s fucking adorable. And it’s making me hard.”  


You can’t help it ... before you can stop it, a visual of Johannes’s hard cock flashes in your brain and you blush even harder, as a tiny mewl of a noise comes out of you, and you hope like hell he doesn’t hear it. You feel a clenching deep within you and you try to cover your gasp with a cough.  


But by the look on his face, a darkening of lust that has you clenching again, he did hear it. Slowly he rises to his knees, looming over you. “I...I want to kiss you again. Can I...?” His voice is raspy, and his eyes flick to your lips as he unconsciously licks his own. “Fuck you smell good...”  


You mirror his movements, licking your lips as you watch his. You’re pretty sure you’ve never blushed this hard for this long in your entire life, but you also want to know if he’s as good a kisser as you thought earlier. “Y-yes...you can kiss me,” you say as you watch his every movement.  


His hands come up, cupping your cheeks softly, feeling the heat of your blush against his palms. He remembers what Papa said before, to be gentle, and so when his lips meet yours it’s tender...at first. He hasn’t felt a loving, soft touch in so long that the feel of you makes him growl and pull you to him. His arms wrap around you, and he holds you so close it feels like he wants to melt you into him. His kiss becomes demanding, but it’s...you whimper into his mouth at how good it feels, lips and tongue and teeth in perfect amounts to swamp you with arousal.  


Slowly you bring your hands up and put your palms on his chest, not to push him away ..just to see what it would feel like. You slide your hands to the outer edges of his chest...to his biceps. Your touch is light, gentle, you know somehow that’s what he needs.  


He shivers against you, hands going passively down to your hips. “Don’t stop...” he whispers into your mouth, and you gasp at the feeling. It’s such a silly thing, you think giddily, to be so affected by his words, but no one’s ever done that before...no one’s 

ever spoken words of passion to you so intimately...your fingers curl around his arms, giving a soft squeeze, before moving down his forearms and to his fingers, lacing yours with his.  


His fingers tighten in yours as your tongues meet, sliding against each other. That wild taste is intoxicating, it makes you want to do something crazy...you settle for guiding his hands up your sides, letting them rest at the sides of your breasts. The heat from his hands should by rights send your borrowed shirt up in flames. You let out a thin cry of need as he lets his thumbs scrape across your nipples.  


“Should I...stop?” he asks breathlessly.  


“I don’t want you to,” you whisper into his mouth, pressing into his hands. “D-Do you want to?”  


“No. Fuck no. Kissing you is...everything...” His passion doubles, and slowly, slowly, he presses you down to the couch under him, tongue drawing yours into his mouth so he can suck on it. “I want to...make up for...earlier...I want to truly please you...”  


“I don’t... oh gods...” you say on a moan as he moves to kiss your neck. “Oh gods, please don’t stop.” You arch into him with a soft cry.  


“Tell me,” he says in between kisses and licks, “tell me what you like...tell me what turns you on...”  


“You...gods...y-you do, Johannes...the rest will take too long and I just want...” You kiss him fully again, pressing up into him eagerly.  


“I see you are no longer scared, ghuleh.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you and Papa get closer as well.

You gasp and jump like you’ve been caught by a parent and see that Papa is standing behind you both, his arms crossed as he watches Johannes pull away.

“Papa, I--” 

“Ghuleh, did he force you?” 

You blink, his question making you pause as you try to sit up. “Of...of course not, Papa, he...he asked...he...I...” You can’t get the words out in the face of Papa’s stern two-toned stare. “I’m sorry,” you whisper.

Papa’s expression softens. “My ghuleh. Do not be ashamed of what you desire. As long as it was consensual, then I have no problems.” He stares hard at the clown, then goes to his mini-bar. “Would either of you like anything?”

“I...I need to use the restroom,” you say faintly, and you get up and try not to look like you’re running away. 

“I won’t say no to vodka,” Johannes says roughly as he watches the bathroom door shut on your retreating back. “That is, if you’re all right with allowing me to have alcohol.”

Papa stares at him. “Depends on what different alcohols do to you. I know someone who can guzzle vodka and be the most cheerful person you’ll ever meet, and someone else who can drink the same brand, the same amount, and want to fight anything that moves. Which are you?”

Johannes smirks. “I’m a shapeshifter. My metabolism works so fast that vodka may as well be water.” He leans back, crosses his arms over his chest, and stares at Papa. “So do I win?”

Papa frowns. “...you’re on thin ice.” But he pours a vodka on the rocks and sets it on the bar. “What do you guess she drinks?”

“Hell, I live on thin ice, pope.” Johannes laughs. “You’re not giving me breaking news. As for her, she strikes me as the wine type, although I suspect she’ll refuse all alcohol.” He picks up the drink and downs it in one swallow. 

Papa stares at Johannes closely. “Swear to me that what I saw was consensual.” 

Johannes stares back, slamming the glass down on the bar. “I swear it.”

You, meanwhile, are leaning against the counter, hand over your mouth. Your mind is swirling, trying to comprehend everything that’s happened in the last day. You swallow hard, pushing the tears down. Crying isn’t what you need right now......you may not understand everything that has been going on, but you know what needs to happen right this moment.. You firm your gaze and leave the bathroom, ignoring the fact that they both look up at you. You look around for your shoes and slip them on. 

“Ghuleh?” Papa asks, frowning. 

“I know what you both are thinking. But I...keep my word. I...I don’t belong here, with all of you important people. I swear on my...” You look at Johannes and smile sadly. “On my life, that I won’t tell a soul of what I saw here. But I’m going to find my way...home.” And you start for the door.

“NO!” both men shout simultaneously. Johannes jumps up and makes a sudden move toward you and you flinch, which halts him. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I ... you... you can’t...”

“What he’s trying to say,” Papa says with a quick glance at Johannes, who looks like he’s trying not to hyperventilate, “is that we don’t think you leaving is a good idea.” He moves slowly toward you. “We’d prefer you to stay, truly.”

As he moves toward you, you back away, hands up. “Papa, all of this...it’s beyond me. I don’t belong here, with...with people as amazing as you both are. I belong back at my three dead-end jobs and shitty apartment. I-I know there are rules you have and whatnot, but I swear, I won’t tell a soul.” You hit the wall and start to edge along it, feeling for the door.

The clown makes another sudden movement, but Papa holds his hand out to him, as if to say, ‘hold on, hold on.’ “Ghuleh, it really isn’t so much about the rules now, as it is about your ...your safety,” Papa says. Your eyes are on Papa, watching him move...even offstage he’s mesmerizing. “Especially after our visit from the king’s as...from the clown here.”

“Trust me, Papa, no one would think to look where I live. B-Besides, now that Johannes...didn’t kill me, there isn’t another assassin to send...” Your hand finds the doorknob, and you move as fast as you’re able to push yourself--you’re out the door and running down the hall in a flash. 

“NO!” Papa yells, but it’s too late--Johannes’s instincts kick in and he’s rushing out after you.

Fuck, you think, where the hell-- Before you can finish your thought, a hand clamps down on your arm, and you are spinning around and slamming into the front of one very tall, very frightened-looking clown. “Don’t.” 

“No! Let me go!” He doesn’t say anything more, just holds you in a fierce embrace, his chin resting on the top of your head. He lets you squirm as much as you want, but he doesn’t release you.

Papa sighs as he catches up a second later, watching you squirm in Johannes’s arms. “Come, clown, bring her back to my rooms. The fewer people who know you both are here right now, the better.” 

Johannes gently picks you up bridal-style, but you don’t stop your squirming. “Please, just let me go, I don’t belong here!” 

“I won’t let you go,” Johannes whispers into your ear as he walks back through Papa’s door.

“You have to,” you say, starting to cry. “You have to! I can’t stay here.” 

“Why?” Johannes asks, his voice low. 

“I told you! I don’t belong here!” 

Papa grabs one of your hands, holds it tightly, presses it against his chest, like he sometimes does when he sings “Cirice” to one lucky girl at a concert. “What if I told you that I want you here, that you do belong here?” He looks deep into your eyes and brushes away your tears with his free hand. “Ghuleh, please. I want you to stay here with me.” He gives the clown a quick glance. “With...us.”

“I-I...I don’t understand. Why would you want that? I’m just a fan who got lost! I don’t mean anything to you, Papa! A-And Johannes, I have no idea what the fuck I did to you, a-and I’m sorry if I hurt you, I just...I have jobs, and I have rent to pay and...f-fuck I’m going to be fired! A-And what about my mom! She checks in with me, sometimes, what am I supposed to tell her? ‘Hey, Mom, I’m good, just living with a satanic pope and a killer clown!’”

Papa barely manages to hold back his laughter; Johannes snorts. “Well...how about....” Johannes looks at Papa, at a loss. 

“Let us make an arrangement?” Papa says smoothly. “It is late, ghuleh, and you’ve had a...challenging time since you first awoke. Why don’t you rest here tonight and stay for a day or two. At least let me make sure that you are not in danger.” He brings your hand up from his chest, kisses it. “I cannot in good conscience let you go without ensuring your safety.”

You flush faintly at Papa kissing your hand like that, and swallow hard. “I...I don’t know… Everything’s happening so fast, and I really don’t feel like I belong here with...with you both…”

“I know, little ghuleh, I know. But everything happening so fast is the reason I am begging you to stay. If the king truly wishes you dead, and he learns that Johannes failed...he won’t hesitate to send someone else. Because there will be someone else. And I won’t have you harmed, not over an accident.” He cups your cheek, his eyes turning gentle and pleading. “Please, ghuleh, give it a few days.”

Your breath hitches as he touches your face, and you try to ignore the goosebumps raising on your arms. You think about it for a moment, then slowly nod. “I...have a little vacation time. I guess I could...I could stay for a few days.” 

Papa beams at you, and the hand that is still holding yours turns it over gently so he can kiss your wrist. “Yes, think of it as a vacation! I am sorry it’s been so stressful for you so far. But trust me when I say we will have you relaxed again within the hour.”

Your smile is tentative ... but it is a smile. “Ok, that’s definitely a deal I’ll take you up on ... but I warn you, after everything that’s happened, I don’t know if you’ll be able to relax me.”

Papa’s eyes light up. “Oh, so it’s a challenge, is it? Then I accept!” His amused smirk is next directed at Johannes. “I think you can put her down now, clown.” 

The clown looks like he’s going to refuse, and just cart you around everywhere for the rest of the night--fuck, the rest of the week--then he takes a deep breath and gently sets you on your feet.

Papa grins and claps his hands together. “First on your night of total relaxation, how about a soothing bubble bath with a glass of wine and music of your choice? Hell, if you want, Johannes and I could even serenade you.” 

You blush faintly, but you can’t help but smile shyly. “That...that does sound nice. I don’t have a tub in my apartment...” Papa actually looks scandalized.

Johannes nudges Papa and the dark pope shakes his head and smiles. “Well, consider my tub yours. Let’s get you set up. What kind of wine do you prefer -- white or red?” He begins to bustle about, and you watch in disbelief. If someone had told you even a week ago that Papa Emeritus the Third would be pouring you wine and preparing a bubble bath for you, you’d have laughed them out of town. But now ...

“I...like them both. M-Maybe start with a white?” you ask, not bothering to mask the disbelief in your voice. Neither of them remark on it, however, and Papa just continues to move, making sure everything is perfect. Johannes comes up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. You blush faintly, but lean back into him. You’re not sure why he has this fixation on touching you, but...to be honest, you’re not going to complain.

“I’ll help you put your hair up,” Johannes says as the two men lead you into the bathroom. 

“I have pins you can use for that.” Papa grabs them from a drawer near the sink, hands them to Johannes. “And we will ... will let you bathe in private if you like, ghuleh,” Papa adds as he checks the water in the tub.

You blush, but shake your head. “If you want to come in once I’m in the water, that’s fine. I...I have some questions.” 

Papa nods. “Of course. Let us know when you’re ready.” He turns and steps out, leaving Johannes to put up your hair.

Johannes stands behind you and strokes his hands through your hair, finger-combing it gently over and over, then arranges it on top of your head and uses the pins to keep the whole mass of curls in place. “There, that should work for a bath.” He lightly kisses the back of your neck, and says, “I’ll wait with Papa,” then leaves you to undress.

You undress slowly, watching the steam curl up from the water. A small sense of panic is still there, just under your surface, but you keep in check. Part of you is so tempted to just say “Yes, I’ll stay and have no issues,” but your sense of responsibility is scolding you already. You sigh, then slip into the water and instantly groan in pleasure. You haven’t had a proper bath in so long...

Outside the bathroom, Johannes looks at Papa then closes his eyes. “I’m impressed with your level of restraint, clown,” Papa said. “I thought for sure when she ran out the door...” 

“Yeah, I know what you thought.” Johannes opens his eyes and just stares. “I know you have no reason to believe me yet, but I told you I’m not going to hurt her, and I meant it. After...ever since we had sex, all I want to do is protect her. And have her again.” He groans. “Watching her in that bath is gonna test my goddamn abilities.”

Papa snorts. “You have willpower, man. Use it.” There’s a pause, and he admits, “She is lovely...and she puts herself down way too much.”

Johannes rubs his face. “Seriously, dude, this is more than just willpower ... it’s ... something about her just ... I can’t explain it.” At Papa’s exasperated look, Johannes says, “Well, go ahead, dude, fuck her and see what happens. If you don’t start feeling like you can’t stay away from her, I’ll eat my fucking hat.”

Papa frowns at him, then nods. “More than likely I will have her in bed before the end of the night. An orgasm or several will do her good. We shall see.” They hear you call out, and he pokes his head in. “All set, lovely?”

“Yes,” you say, and Papa moves farther into the bathroom, Johannes following behind, muttering, “Yeah, we shall see, pope. We shall fucking see...” He props himself up on the counter, trying to stay far enough away that he can keep control of himself. He wasn’t lying to Papa...this isn’t just about willpower; something is going on, and he wishes he knew what.

Papa smiles and sits--though the movement is so graceful that it looks more like he drapes himself--next to the tub. He hands you the glass of wine and smiles to you. “How is the water, my ghuleh?” 

“Perfect,” you say, taking a sip of wine and leaning back. “Thank you, Papa.” 

“It is the least I could do, dear one. You are going through a lot right now. I--we--want to make it as smooth for you as possible.”

“It’s definitely been...different,” you say, trailing your fingers through the bubbles. “So... you said earlier we are in Sweden. Like the actual country Sweden?” At Papa’s nod, you make a noise of surprise. “But I don’t understand...how did you get me here? I don’t even have a passport.”

Papa smiles, taking his gloves off and running his own fingers through the bubbles near your knee. The simple act of seeing his bare hands makes your breath catch. “We have our ways, my lovely. And once you are safe to go home, we can get you back without one as well.”

“But...how is that even possible?” you ask, unable to take your eyes off his hands. 

“Special .... privileges, let’s call it...” Papa says soothingly as he watches you stare at his fingers. They swish back and forth, dancing tantalizingly close to your leg. Your body sways just a little bit, in time with his hands, and your leg twitches uncontrollably, brushing against his fingers....

“Aaaaaah...” Papa says, pitching his voice low, letting a little rasp enter. “If you want me to touch you, lovely, you need but to ask.” His fingertips swirl around your knee, and even just that light touch, combined with that two-toned stare feeling like it was looking into your soul, has sweat popping out on your forehead. 

“P-Please don’t stop...” you whisper breathlessly. Johannes can see your pulse fluttering even from back near the sink.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Papa whispers his reply, and your breath catches again as his fingertips move down your leg, lightly grazing the skin, and he doesn’t seem to care that his shirt sleeve is getting wet or that Johannes is watching, his entire body taut with the effort it’s taking for him to not come closer...

His fingers hit the sensitive skin of your inner thigh, and you hiss in pleasure as your muscle jumps under his touch. You set the wineglass down carefully, not wanting to spill it in the tub, and you lean back and, biting your lip, you let your legs fall open, need plain on your face. He smirks, eyes half-lidding, and just the stark beauty of Papa’s ethereal features is enough to make you clench hard around nothing.

“Your desire makes you glow,” Papa murmurs as his fingers slowly slide up your inner thigh. “I want to make you burn.”

His words have an instantaneous effect. You cry out, your body on fire, a red flush coloring your skin as that desire makes every part of your body suddenly ultra-sensitive. You can feel every inch of the water surrounding you, every teasing swirl of Papa’s fingers getting closer and closer to where you need them to be. You don’t even notice Johannes, growling behind you both, fingers gripping the sink until his knuckles turn white.

Papa moves up, closer to you, and leans in. “I would very much like to kiss you. May I?” You nod slowly, mesmerized. He leans in farther, gaze never leaving yours. Closer and closer, til his lips are a hair's breadth away from yours...and he stops right there. “Tell me I may.” His words are a breath on you. 

“You...you may.” 

His lips touch yours, softly, and you let out a tiny gasp at the feel of him on you....and a second, louder gasp when his fingers slide along your folds, making the water move as your hips buck against him.

Papa’s kissing you. Papa Emeritus the Third is kissing you, and his fingers are...you can’t close your eyes, and Papa hasn’t yet, piercing you with that two-toned stare. Even underwater he can feel how slick you are, how keyed up you are. His lips move over yours, slowly, thoroughly, and they are the softest things you think you’ve ever felt. Your breathing becomes gasping into his mouth, and when his index finger dances over your clit you all but surge out of the water.

You open your mouth to cry out and Papa takes advantage, sliding his tongue into your mouth and gliding it along your own, moving in time with his fingers against your clit and your folds. Your hips are pushing against his hand, and you lift your hands out of the water to grip his shoulders. A coil of sensation tightens deep within your belly...and just when you think it can’t get tighter...Papa slides one long finger inside your pussy, and the coil explodes, leaving you clenching and gripping his finger with your inner walls as your orgasm hits you like a truck.

Papa's eyes widen as, suddenly, a need he's never felt before settles deep inside him...a need to protect you, a need to please you, a need to make and keep you happy. This goes beyond wanting--he suddenly cares about you more than he cares about himself. He looks at Johannes, confusion and shock plain to see on the dark pope’s face.

If he weren’t suffering from trying to keep himself under control, Johannes would be laughing wildly and saying, “Fucking told you so!” As it is, his need to touch you is a physical pain and watching Papa make you come isn’t helping, as hot as the scene has been to watch. He doesn’t feel free to join in or even get closer, though, so he palms his erection through his pants and growls some more as you come, everything about your orgasm turning him on.

“I...I don’t understand...oh, my ghuleh, please, let us take you to bed. I need to be inside you,” Papa gasps, and he barely waits for your desperate nod before he’s lifting you out of the tub and rushing into his bedroom. He doesn’t care that you’re still wet and covered in suds, all he cares about is being inside you as fast as possible. He lays you down and strips quickly, and you gasp at how beautiful he is naked.

Once again you feel like you must be hallucinating...your thoughts are bouncing around your head as Papa kneels on the bed, as he runs his hands up your body, as he stretches out on top of you, his weight a delicious pressure, as he kisses you deeply, as his rock-hard cock presses against your belly... 

Johannes, meanwhile, is slamming the back of his head against the bathroom wall ... he is fighting his need so that Papa can have you to himself, but he isn’t sure he can last much longer...this whole thing is too new, too unexplained, too wild...

“Clown...clown, get the fuck out here before I have to fix my wall!” Papa snaps, only taking his mouth off yours long enough to say the words. His hips rock against yours, softly, gently, savoring the feel of your skin against his as his tongue tangles with yours.

“Fucking christ,” the clown moans as he moves into the bedroom and over to the bed, staring at the scene before him as though it might be a mirage. You wrap your arms around Papa, and when you arch your back and press into him with a muffled cry, Johannes finally drops onto the bed next to you, leaning over and pressing desperate kisses to your shoulder.

You break the kiss with Papa to kiss Johannes, who growls into your mouth and pulls the pins out of your hair. He tangles his fingers in your tresses as he devours your mouth. Papa’s lips slide down your neck, over your chest, achingly exploring every inch of skin he can.

You sink one hand into Johannes’s hair and let the other hand slide along the back of Papa’s neck, into his much shorter curls. And when Papa’s mouth finds your nipple, you wail into the clown’s lips.

Johannes growls again into your mouth, drinking down your cry eagerly, his hand finding your other nipple and pinching gently. The double stimulation has you wailing again, and Papa moans loudly against your breast, lips and tongue and teeth working you into a frenzy.

You grind your pussy on Papa’s thigh without realizing what you’re doing ... you’re just seeking any kind of friction you can find. Johannes leaves your lips so he can lock his mouth on the nipple he’s been pinching, and you let out a high-pitched keen as both your breasts are given total attention.

Papa groans against your breast at the feeling of your wet folds on his leg. “That’s right, ghuleh, take your pleasure on me. Use whatever you need to.” You cry out again, your hands curling into their hair, back arching as they tongue at your nipples. They feel so good against you, the warmth of their bodies and the brush of their hair making you even more sensitive.

Papa’s thigh is soon soaked with your essence, and he growls around your breast. He shifts his position so that his cock is lining up with your pussy, and he begins to roll his hips so that his cock rubs back and forth over your folds and your clit. In no time, his cock is as soaked as his thigh.

“Oh, my ghuleh, that’s it, you smell so good...would you like to come like this? Come all over my cock just like this, so I can feel your pussy quivering?” 

You shudder at his incredible skill with dirty talk, his silken voice somehow feeling as good as his tongue. “I-Inside me, please, I need you inside me!”

Papa releases his breath in a hiss at your demand. “You’re right, I need to be inside you. I need to fuck you properly.” He lines the tip of his cock up at your entrance and seeks your gaze. “Look at me, ghuleh. Look at me as I take you.” He thrusts in, sheathing himself in you, and your wail is loud. He holds himself there, filling you, feeling your inner walls clench him wetly, and he nearly comes right then.

You couldn’t look away from his eyes if your life depended on it. His two-toned stare pins you under him, and you quake against both men. Your legs wrap around his waist, and your arms wrap around his neck. “Please...please...” you whisper, because your voice can’t get any louder at the moment.

Finally, finally, Papa begins to move, rolling his hips as he strokes in and out, sliding one hand between your bodies to flick your clit with his fingers. Johannes sucks on your nipple, biting it and licking it in turn. You are pure sensation, you’re fairly certain you’re going to explode into flames at any moment, and you feel your orgasm building at a rapid pace.

“Ghuleh, I can feel you tightening. You’re going to come so hard around me. I’m going to make you squirt, lovely one...” And he slips his arms under your legs and up and over his shoulders. His cock starts hitting a spot inside you that makes you see stars, and you come with a scream, and you do indeed squirt. The dark pope cries out as your orgasm washes over him, and he comes with a muffled cry into your chest. Johannes can’t help it--he reaches between you both to swipe off some of your come, slipping his fingers into his mouth with a growl.

You come for what seems like an hour, screaming until your voice cracks, both men gripping you tightly, rocking you through your orgasm until the waves of pleasure start to subside and your screaming devolves into raspy sobs. Papa takes deep, shuddering breaths, inhaling and exhaling into your skin, and the clown simply presses kisses to your body, wherever he can reach, as you all come down from the incredible high you just experienced.

Slowly, carefully, Papa pulls out of you and falls to the side. He gathers you into his arms, Johannes spooning up to you from behind, rubbing a soothing hand up and down your back. After catching his breath, Papa presses a kiss to your forehead, then slips off the bed and into the bathroom. He cleans himself up quickly, looking in the mirror, not understanding where these feelings came from so quickly. He doesn’t think you’re anything but human...

Johannes, meanwhile, is doing something he’s fairly certain he’s never done in living memory -- he’s cuddling a lover. Lying on his side, pressed against your back, he buries his face in your hair as one arm rests above both your heads, curling around the two of you like a barrier against the world, his other arm draped over your hip, letting his fingers trail along the skin of your belly. He doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing...but he isn’t about to stop because this? Is the calmest he’s felt in...decades.

Your heart rate slows, and your shudders subside. You feel Johannes at your back, making you smile as he cuddles you, and then the enormity of what you did takes hold. Within a single day, you’ve had sex with both Papa Emeritus and Johannes. You’ve only had one or two partners in your life, so for this to happen so quickly...you’re mortified. Johannes feels you stiffen in his arms and frowns. “Are you all right, sweetness?”

The endearment brings tears to your eyes ... you don’t feel sweet at the moment. You feel more like a slut...but you’re not about to tell him that. “I’m-I’m fine,” you say quietly as Papa approaches with a warm washcloth. “Just...just really tired. This has been the craziest day of my life.” And that’s the literal truth, you think as you watch Papa gently clean you up. Craziest. Day. Ever. 

Johannes knows you’re lying--the fib leaves an acrid scent in his nose. But he decides to press you on it tomorrow ... he’s far too sleepy to push you for answers at the moment.

Papa smiles to you. “How do you feel, my l...” He trails off, eyes wide as he realizes he was about to say ‘love’ casually. He stares at you, his eyes wide, his face paling under his makeup, and then suddenly he’s just...gone...he blinks out of sight. 

You gasp, eyes wide. “What?! How...?!”

Johannes isn’t sure how much you know, and how much Papa wants you to know...so he strokes your arm and hugs you tight. “You’re just really tired, sweetness. Go to sleep.”

“I...I thought...” You blink again, then yawn. “I am really tired...” 

“I know, sweetness. Here, let me help make you more comfortable.” He stands and gently picks you up, moving you under the silk covers. He slips in next to you, turning you and pressing your head to his chest, fingers stroking your hair.

You burrow into Johannes’s chest and sigh, still not quite believing all that has happened to you. Funny how your whole world can be turned upside down in an instant, you think...and then you’re drifting off to sleep. Johannes just strokes your hair, still wondering what the hell you did to him, and where the fuck the dark pope has disappeared to.

Papa, meanwhile, appears naked in a bedroom. It’s decorated in blacks and purples, and there’s a guitar set up next to the bed. Two people are lounging on the bed, naked, sharing a glass of wine. “Aether. Forgive me, I need to talk to you.” 

Aether blinks up at the man. “Papa? Why are you naked?”

Papa blinks back. “I could ask you the same question, my friend.” 

“True,” Aether says, “but I usually get dressed before I go visiting. And also, considering my current company...” He motions to the woman lying against him, who grins faintly and wiggles her fingers at the naked dark pope. 

Papa blinks again. “Point taken. My apologies for interrupting,” he says, nodding to the beautiful sister of sin lounging with Aether, “but I need to pick your brain.”

The sister kisses Aether softly and stands, pulling on her clothes. “Thank you, Aether. Good night, Papa.” And she leaves. 

Papa starts pacing as he explains what has happened since you woke up. “Again, no one is to know right now about Johannes. Have you ever heard about something like her?”

Aether stares at Papa. “He tried to kill her? And you didn’t immediately kill him?” 

Papa sighs. “She didn’t want me to. Besides, he was no longer a threat by the time I arrived. She....changed him. And me. Aether, my friend, neither one of us could so much as give her a malicious papercut even if we tried. The very thought of her coming to harm is.... I would rather die, and the clown feels the same. And seeing as how he came here to harm her, that’s saying something.” 

Aether gazes off into space. “It almost sounds like....but that’s ... I’ve never... even Special hasn’t...” 

“Are you planning to actually have this conversation with me, or the wall?” Papa says with a huff. 

“I’m sorry, Papa, it’s just.... they’re so rare...” 

“What are?” 

“Conduits.”

Papa blinks. “Conduits...I feel like I have heard that term somewhere before...what are they exactly?” 

“Well,” Aether says, sitting up on the bed and scratching at a spot on his forehead near his hairline, “from what I have read they are beings who are capable of moving energy, both their own and someone else’s. They can strengthen and weaken that energy as they choose. And unless they are trained, as time goes on, their power will become harder to control when they get emotional. But that’s really all I know about them. They are...incredibly rare. You’d be more likely to see Imperator smile than know one.”

“If she is a conduit, could she be doing all this without realizing it?” Papa sinks onto Aether’s bed. 

“More than likely.” Aether rubs his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll do some research...I seem to remember there being a sexual element to the nature of a conduit...”

“That would make sense. We did not start feeling this way until we were both in the presence of her orgasming.” 

Aether nods. “Could...do you think I could come and see her as she sleeps? I’d like to feel her energy for myself.”

Papa nods back. “Certainly, as long as she’s asleep. So much has happened to her in just a short time...I don’t want to overwhelm her any more if we can avoid it.” He stands up. “Come.” 

Aether pulls on a pair of pants, and then they both blink into Papa’s room, off to the side, out of sight of the bed. Papa quietly checks before he waves Aether over. “They’re both asleep. I need a robe...” When he returns to Aether’s side, Aether is standing at the foot of the bed, staring in awe. “Are you all right, my friend?” 

Aether shakes his head. “Yes...yes just...damn...she’s... damn.”

Papa smiles faintly. “Yes, she’s lovely...now, about her energy?” 

“Right, of course.” He closes his eyes and feels you out, then gasps and takes an involuntary step backward. “Unholy shit...” 

Papa blinks, concerned. “Is everything well?” 

“I have never seen...Imagine standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. But the cliff is a tiny island just barely big enough for you to stand on. Nothing around you but water for leagues and leagues. That is what her energy feels like.”

Papa looks a bit taken aback. “Are we sure she’s....human?” 

Aether nods. “Yes, she’s human...but she’s ... if she is a conduit and she harnesses all that potential...” Aether watches you, looking thoughtful. “Now that I think about it, I noticed her during the show the other night...not like I could have told you what she looked like, but her aura stood out.”

Papa blinks. “If her aura stood out that much with all those people there...” He sighs. “I really do not like the idea of her leaving now.” 

“Wait, she was going to leave? And you and Johannes would have let her?” 

“Well, I am sure that Johannes would have followed her. He cannot stand to not be in the same room with her now.” Papa props his hands on his hips. “I cannot blame him truthfully...”

Aether shakes his head. “If the wrong kind of supernatural finds her ... Papa, we need to keep her safe.” 

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Papa says, running his hands through his hair.

Johannes stirs, grumbles slightly, tightens his grip on you, and falls back asleep. Aether chuckles. “I must admit, Papa, she is radiant, but he is no slouch either.”

Papa shoots Aether a questioning look, then he looks at the clown...truly studies him for the first time since he discovered him in his rooms.... “Yes....yes, I .... he is a beautiful man...when his mouth isn’t getting him in trouble....”

Aether smothers a laugh, hand over his mouth, eyes squinting in mirth. When he has control of himself again, he nudges Papa. “Come now, we all know that’s your favorite kind of person.” 

Papa shoots him a look. “If you are quite finished, that is all I needed from you. Please do that research on conduits.” He snaps his fingers and Aether is back in his rooms.

Papa can hear the faint echo of Aether’s laughter and he shakes his head. His gaze returns to Johannes....beautiful indeed, with his long black hair, the makeup (when it’s there) accentuating features that are already eye-catching....and that mouth.... His gaze slides to you, and his breath hitches. What has happened to me, the dark pope thinks as he pours himself a strong drink and sits in a chair in the corner, just watching you and the clown sleep, trying to make sense of what is happening...

Papa has never loved before. Oh sure, he cares about the Sisters and Brothers of Sin, and he cares about the ghouls as if they were close family, but...he’s never been in love before. But when he looks at you...his heart swells with it, it nearly swamps him. And he doesn’t know how to deal with that. He gulps down his drink, leaning back in his chair, and says softly and with finality, “Fuck.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papa and Johannes start teaching you an important lesson.

The church bells wake you up again, but this time it is late morning, maybe early afternoon, given the light coming through the windows. You wonder, if you stay, whether the bells will always wake you up or if you’ll eventually sleep through them... 

Your eyes open wide. Stay here? You can’t stay here, isn’t that what you decided last night? Regardless of the amazing sex? Speaking of amazing sex, you look at the clown lying next to you, his leg pinning you. Wow, you think. Last night really did happen.

You swallow, your bladder kicking you in the side, and gently try to extricate yourself. You manage to move without waking him, and you pad naked into the bathroom. You wonder where Papa went, then realize he probably has work to do for the church. You shake your head, rubbing your face. “What even is my life...?”

After using the bathroom, you find the button-down shirt and pants Papa had given you last night, and dress quickly, feeling a little less...exposed, and you go out to the main room, to find a tray sitting on the coffee table near the fireplace...breakfast, coffee, juice, and a note. “I am taking care of church business .... the two of you should eat, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. PEIII”

You feel a disconnect as you sit down to eat. You are there, but the surrealness of your situation makes you feel...out of yourself. You eat, then sip at the coffee, staring hard into the fire and lost in thought until a sudden hand on your shoulder makes you jump and cry out.

Johannes takes a step back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He climbs over the back of the sofa and slides down to sit next to you. “I’m fucking starving.” He tears into the meal, stealing quick glances at you. “You ate? Do you want more?” You shake your head. “Did you sleep all right? You ok?” He shakes his head, grinning at himself. “Christ listen to me...all the questions...”

You smile weakly. “You sound like my mom.” He balks, and you can’t help but laugh. But the laughter fizzles out quickly, and you go back to staring into the fire. “I...I don’t know if I’m okay. Yesterday....” You blush darkly, but Johannes can tell that it’s out of shame, not embarrassment. “I...I’ve never...I’ve only had one or two...partners before, so yesterday was...a lot...”

Johannes watches you closely. “Are you saying you didn’t enjoy yourself? Because by my estimation that was a pretty good fucking you got last night. I mean, it was just a taste of what can happen, but it was still pretty good.”

“Johannes, of course I enjoyed myself, but that’s the problem!” you say in exasperation. “I slept with two men I just met! I...I’m not that kind of girl!” You can’t look at him, your face a dark red, and you take a sip of coffee to keep from saying other idiotic things.

The clown looks at you, eyebrow raising, and he sits back, draping his long arms along the back and side of the couch. “If you enjoyed yourself, I don’t see the problem. And what kind of girl are you talking about? The kind of girl who enjoys some kickass sex? That sounds like the kind of girl anyone should want to be...” 

“Are you being deliberately dense?” you ask. 

His eyebrow raises impossibly higher. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me! I feel like a fucking slut, okay?! Oh, look, I’m face to face with my favorite singers, what’s the first thing I do? Fuck them. Go me.” You stand and attempt to storm into the bedroom, needing to be alone.

Papa is standing there, arms crossed, his two-toned stare intent on you. “My memory of yesterday is quite different, ghuleh. The first thing you did when face to face with me was call me a hallucination. Hardly a request for sex, in my opinion.”

Guilt flashes through you, but you scowl and cross your own arms. “You know exactly what I mean. I’ve never had two different men in one day before. I...I’m usually better in control of myself!”

Papa tilts his head as he stares at you, his expression unreadable. “Why would you need to control yourself? You wanted to have sex, as did Johannes and I. We had sex. There was no need for control.”

“I barely know either of you! What about your sexual history? What about STDs?! What if you or I did something the other didn’t like? There are conversations that need to happen before sex! And not only that, but it’s fucking shallow of me to just jump right in bed with you both! I don’t want to be just a groupie to either of you!”

Without taking his eyes off you, Papa says, “Johannes, is there anything in your sexual history that would be a problem?” 

“No, of course not. You?” 

Papa shakes his head slowly. “Nothing at all.” He takes one step closer to you. “While some of what you say has merit, ghuleh, I take offense at you even suggesting either one of us thinks of you as ‘just a groupie.’” 

“Papa--”

He takes another step, and you feel Johannes at your back, and you break and try to run for the bedroom. But Johannes grabs you immediately and pulls you against him. “You’re not running, sweetness.” 

“No, let me go! It’s...it’s too much, it’s too much!”

“The clown is right, my ghuleh, you must stop running away every time you don’t want to deal with something.” Papa moves close. “Now, what is too much?”

“Everything! I don’t belong here, I don’t understand why you both feel so strongly about me already! You were going to kill me, Johannes! And now you’re both acting as if you can’t live without me!” Tears are rolling down your face. “That...that is too much, too soon! I...I haven’t had a chance to process any of this!”

“We don’t understand it either, sweetness,” Johannes says in your ear. “But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. In fact, this is the most right I’ve felt in a good long while. Doesn’t it feel right to you?”

“I...I don’t...” 

“My ghuleh...” Papa steps forward and envelops you in his arms as well. “I know you are scared. All of this is so new, and you’ve been in danger, and it all happened too fast. But I want you to know some things...” He gently wipes your tears away and smiles to you. “First, never be ashamed for simply feeling. We will never judge you for that. Scared? Hungry? Angry? Joyful?” He smirks. “Horny? All of it is natural, and you can let out your feelings with us without being scared of rejection. Second...do not feel guilty or upset for wanting sex.” His lips twist. “That is a very Catholic viewpoint, and it does. Not. Fly. Here. Never be ashamed of what you desire.”

“It’s...it’s one thing to want sex,” you say, trying to keep from dissolving into heaving sobs. “But it’s another thing entirely to be a slut, sleeping with two men in one day, at one time, practically! I--”

“That. Is. Enough.” Papa’s voice is stern, no-nonsense. He’s done. “You are Not. A. Slut. There’s no slut-shaming here, be it of others or, more importantly, oneself.” His stare is penetrating. “It would seem, clown, that we are going to have to teach our beautiful ghuleh a very. Important. Lesson.”

Johannes can’t help the grin that spreads over his lips. “Oh, I think I know what lesson you have in mind. I like this kind of lesson.” 

You blink, then blush. “W-Wait, what kind of lesson?!” But it is too late--Johannes has already picked you up over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. You yelp and squirm, trying to get down as best you can.

“You know,” Johannes says casually as he carries you into the bedroom, following Papa, “when you struggle, it just makes it more fun for me. So keep it up, sweetness.” He gives your ass a swat before he sets you down in front of the dark pope.

You gasp at the swat, blushing darkly, heart pounding, hardly believing that this is happening again. “C-Come on, guys, t-this really isn’t necessary--” 

“Oh yes it is,” Papa rasps, stepping up against you. His fingers slide into your hair, tilting your head back, allowing his lips to brush up your throat. You gasp, curling your hands around his biceps as Johannes does the same thing on the other side. “You’re going to learn that having sex with us is not a bad thing. You’re going to learn to not be ashamed of what you desire, not to be ashamed of acting on those desires. Whatever you want to do, my ghuleh, we will make happen...”

“Tell me, sweetness,” Johannes says as he licks and nibbles at your earlobe, “did you like that swat on your ass? Do you want us to dominate you?” He licks the shell of your ear. 

Papa hums against the skin of your throat. “When you have no choice but to do as you’re told, you can let go of the guilt and the shame you feel...” 

“Tell us,” Johannes whispers. “Is that what you want? Do you want us to take control?”

“I...I d-don’t know...I-I just....” Heat is threatening to swamp you, you can barely breathe. You close your eyes against the feelings stuck hard in your throat, and you whisper, “I don’t want to think anymore...” 

“Then don’t think. Just...obey.” Papa smirks and suddenly bites down hard on your neck, making you cry out as your clit throbs.

Your shout makes Johannes growl, the rumble in his chest vibrating against your back. Papa’s bite becomes a hard sucking, and you know he’s going to leave an ugly bruise there...and you suddenly don’t care if he does, don’t care if the two men leave a hundred bruises on your body if it means they are marking you, taking ownership of you...

“Please,” you gasp, “please...I need...I want you both so much...but I don’t...know how to let myself...” 

“All you have to do is let go...there is nothing wrong with this, my beautiful ghuleh. We want you to be ours. We want you to stay with us...we want you to fuck us...” You shudder at his words, and you close your eyes tightly and cup the back of his head, bringing his lips back to your neck.

Johannes gathers your hair and wraps it around his hand, then pulls your head back, exposing your neck to Papa. He licks a new spot on your neck, then begins to suck again. “I don’t... l’m not sure I can let go...” 

“That’s why we are here, sweetness,” Johannes says, growling a little. “We’re gonna make you let go.”

“T-That doesn’t make sense...” you say on a gasp. Papa chuckles as he leaves a line of hickies down your neck. 

“Desire does not make sense, my ghuleh. Just like this whole situation. But we are going to make you feel good anyway...”

They both work on your neck at the same time, Papa’s hands on your hips, warm through the gloves and your clothes, as the clown’s hands slip up to knead at your breasts. Papa laughs at your squirming. “So eager, ghuleh. Patience is a virtue, you know.”  
He grinds his hips against yours as Johannes grinds against your ass and your knees buckle …the only thing keeping you upright is their hands and hips. 

You cry out as Johannes pinches your nipples hard, back arching into his hands and Papa’s chest. Their names become a whispered litany, making them groan and growl as Papa’s hands go to the button on your pants. 

As he undoes your borrowed pants and slides them down your legs, hands smoothing over your skin, Johannes grabs your shirt front and rips, buttons popping off and chattering all over. “Fuck patience,” he growls as he pinches your nipples again.

Papa frowns as his fingers wiggle against the top of your mound. “You owe me a new shirt. But aside from that, I do hope you know the merits to taking it slow.” Glowering up at the man behind you, he doesn’t even meet your eyes as a thumb suddenly swipes over your clit. 

Your sharp gasp makes both men chuckle. “She seems to like it either way, Papa.” His long fingers roll your nipples as he bites the tender spot where your neck and shoulder meet, and you cry out again. 

Papa laughs softly as he slowly slides his fingertips up your thighs. “We are touching her, of course she’s going to like it.” He falls to his knees before you and lifts your leg. Pressing a kiss to your ankle, his eyes finally meet yours as he growls, “Hold her up for me, will you?”

Johannes licks the spot he just bit, then hums as he takes in Papa’s position. “Like this?” He changes his grip on your torso and lifts, forcing your feet to leave the floor just a bit. Papa growls his approval as he positions your legs over his shoulders. 

“Yes, just like that. Well done,” Papa smirks up at the man, then looks back to you. “Do not worry, my beautiful one, I have not forgotten about you.” And he proved his words true with a sudden bite to your inner thigh, laughing at your wail. 

“I aim to please,” Johannes says as your squirming gets a bit more panicked now. With the two men the only thing supporting you, you feel like you’re floating, making you feel a touch nervous. Johannes adjusts again, his hold on you firm. “Don’t worry, sweetness,, I’m not about to let you go.” He leans over and latches on to one of your diamond-hard nipples. 

You cry out, back arching, the movement bringing your hips closer to Papa’s smirking face. He chuckles and pulls a glove off slowly, before using two fingers to gently part your lips. “Look at how wet you are, my ghuleh, You are going to be slicking yourself all over my face very soon. Do you like the sound of that?” Your eyes roll to the back of your head at the combination of the clown’s tongue wrapping around your nipple and Papa’s masterful dirty talk, and he laughs. “I will take that as a yes.” 

As Johannes turns his attention, and his talented tongue, to your other nipple, you watch as Papa’s face inches ever so slowly closer to your pussy, which begins to drip as he studies it. You’re holding your breath and somehow whimpering at the same time as his hot breath washes over your lips and clit. 

You swear just the feel of his breath on your over-sensitive parts is going to make you come. And he must think the same because he spends almost a full minute just holding your gaze and breathing on you. You whine desperately, hips trying to strain closer to his mouth, and he smirks and gives your ass a solid smack. “No, no, my ghuleh. You will get what I give you when I decide to give you it.” You bite your lip as one of your hands tangles into Johannes’s hair. 

Johannes releases your nipple with a tiny pop, and his growl makes something deep within you tighten. “Or perhaps I’ll decide and give you what you want right now. Fuck, Papa, how can you wait when she looks like this, smells like this?” 

Papa frowns up at the other man, then smirks, and it’s decidedly smug. “My dear Johannes, perhaps you have never realized that the longer you draw this out—”and his fingers ever so gently run over your folds, making a garbled cry rip your throat—”the harder she will orgasm. Trust me, there is nothing I would like to do more than to press my face to her and drink like a man dying of thirst, but I wait, for her.” He presses a fond, teasing kiss on your clit, and your hips buck as even the light touch is enough to make you lose your mind. 

The clown frowns, then bares his teeth in what can only be described as a feral grin. “You may be right, but I think you forget how good fast and hard and rough can be.” He leans down again and bites down hard on a nipple, making you scream, before suckling. “Maybe we should take turns and let her decide which is better.” Another bite followed by more suckling and your wail ends in a moan. 

Papa grins as his fingers continue gently stroking you. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I suppose, given our current positions, that I will go first. Is that agreeable?” His eyes zip to yours as a finger suddenly rubs over your sopping entrance. “After all, we do not need to move our lovely one all around and manhandle her more than necessary, correct?”

Johannes’s growly laugh vibrates against your skin but does nothing to drown out your cries as Papa continues stroking. “Be my guest, Papa. Nothing like watching a good show while I snack.” With that, he bites your nipple a third time. 

Grin devolving into a smirk, Papa inclines his head graciously in thanks before leaning forward to the meal in front of him. You can’t see what he’s doing, but you feel his tongue on your clit…and also somehow around it. The edges of his tongue curl upward and are cupping around your clit, and your scream as he starts moving his tongue forward and back around it could wake the dead. He is slow, agonizingly slow, and his finger never enters you but keeps up that pressure like it is about to.

Your frantic movements force Johannes and Papa both to grip you even tighter, limiting you to tiny, convulsive jerks with each slow slide of Papa’s tongue. Johannes, not to be outdone, begins to drag his tongue over and around each of your breasts, punctuating each lick with bites and sucks that you’re sure will leave marks for days. 

Your mind is on fire, but the small part of your brain not consumed with lust is impressed at the strength they have. They are both slender men, but they hold you down against them easily. However, any coherency flies out the window when Papa sucks your clit through his tongue. The pressure, like everything else he’s been doing, is gentle and soft, but with how worked up you are it causes you to shriek and buck your hips frantically. 

Johannes quickly moves to your head, growling low right in your ear, “How does it feel? Are you gushing in his mouth? Is his tongue driving you mad? My tongue will. Wait til I shove it inside you.”

Words are beyond you. The only thing you can do to answer his questions is nod frantically. Papa smirks, and suddenly two fingers are sliding into you, slowly, deeply. All at once he starts lapping at your clit with the flat of his tongue, and his fingers find that sweet spot inside you and caress it, and you don’t even get a warning—you explode. Your scream echoes down the hall before Johannes can muffle it, and Papa starts laughing as he works you through it, not letting up and making your high so intense you very nearly pass out. 

“That’s right, sweetness, come all over his face,” Johannes keeps growling in your ear as you come. “Are you squeezing his fingers? Give him this orgasm…give it to him. Because the next one is mine and I’m going to rip it out of you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the lesson continues, making for a very long afternoon...

You sob in pleasure as your orgasm slowly ebbs, leaving you completely boneless in their grip. You gasp for breath, twitching hard as Papa places one last kiss on your now engorged clit. “What a beautiful orgasm, my delicious ghuleh. You did so well for your Papa. I do hope you do as well for Johannes. I believe we’ve established he’s not as patient as I am.” He smirks up at you, hands smoothing over your trembling thighs as he gives you a moment to catch your breath.

Johannes’s laugh is pure sin. “Not even remotely,” he says. “I’ve already waited too long to have a taste of that sweetness. I want her dripping down my chin.” He gives each of your nipples one last lick. “Shall we move her to the bed, or continue right here?”

Papa grins and pats your thigh fondly. “I believe she would appreciate a solid surface this time around. She is a little…weak-kneed at the moment.”

Somehow you manage a laugh and to peel your eyes open. “I think that’s the understatement of the century, Papa. That was…literally the hardest I’ve ever come in my life.” You smile down to him, caressing his cheek. “Thank you.”

He smiles and presses a soft kiss to your palm. “Any time, my little treat.” He sets your legs down, and stands, helping Johannes move you to Papa’s enormous bed. The red silk sheets are cool on your overheated skin, and you shiver slightly at the temperature play.

The two men simply stand and stare down at you for a minute, their heated gazes taking in your naked form as you writhe at the sensual feel of the silk. Suddenly Johannes grabs your ankles and tugs you toward him. “Papa, if you would be so kind?”

Papa gracefully settles himself at the head of the bed, then slides you back up so that you are resting against his chest, nestled between his legs. You feel his erection pressing against your back as his hands come around to cup your breasts, securely pinning you against him, as Johannes crawls up from the bottom of the bed and spreads your legs wide, hooking each one over Papa’s legs. “Look at that cunt. Beautiful. Papa, I am even more impressed at your ability to wait.”

“It was a trial, I will tell you that.” His voice rumbles into your back as his fingertips caress your still-hard nipples. You shudder as Johannes simply looks at your cunt, and you blush at his scrutiny. You squeeze your eyes shut and look away even as your back arches into Papa’s touch. “My dear ghuleh, you’re going to come for him like you came for me, right? Like the good girl you are?” You whine and nod, feeling yourself start to drip onto the bed.

“Oh she will, Papa, she will. But first…” Johannes runs his hand from your torso down your stomach and farther down, cupping your entire cunt for a few seconds before suddenly slapping it, hard. Your eyes fly open wide as you scream, the mix of pain and pleasure zinging through your body. “Keep those gorgeous eyes open, sweetness. I want you to watch me tear this orgasm out of you.”

Papa grunts into your ear as your body writhes at the exquisite torture, and he laughs softly. “You are determined to play rough with the poor girl, aren’t you?” As if in counterpoint, his own gloved fingers are soft and gentle on your breasts, and the duality of what you are feeling everywhere is enough to make you squirm against them. “Sometime it would be interesting to switch roles. I am curious if you are capable of softness, clown…” Again, talking like you aren’t even there makes a very slight pout come to your lips.

“I am right here, you know…and still capable of speech.”

Papa laughs evilly. “Oh you probably should not have said that, my suddenly willful pet.”

Johannes slowly raises his head, staring you down until you start blushing again. “You may be capable, but that only goes so far, sweetness.” He slaps your clit, forcing another scream from your lips as he suddenly pulls the glove from Papa’s hand, then quickly shoves it in your mouth, cutting you off mid-cry. You whimper against the material as tears form in the corners of your eyes, and when Johannes slaps your clit again, you jerk against Papa’s grip as you scream into the glove. “Now. Eyes on me.”

The brief thought enters your mind to ignore him and look away, but you have no idea what the clown who keeps slapping your already over-sensitive clit is capable of. So you set aside your pride and look down into his eyes, though there is still a tiny hint of defiance there. Papa tsks behind you, lips brushing against your neck as he speaks. “I would have thought you would want to hear every scream she makes, clown.” He pauses, then smirks. “Or is it that she will soon need something to bite down on?” If he is upset that Johannes used his own glove to gag you, he doesn’t show it.

The clown’s laugh is dark. “Let’s just say I live to be unpredictable, Papa.” As he leans down, studying your cunt closely, he inhales deeply and closes his eyes for a second. When he opens them again, he’s looking right into your eyes. Maintaining the connection, he spreads your lips wide and takes the flat of his tongue from the bottom of your slit all the way to your clit in a long, wet slurp of a lick. Your muffled moan and his growl of approval seem to vibrate through you at the same time. “Good god damn, that’s the best thing I’ve tasted in forever.”

Papa snickers as your face goes red when the clown smells you. “Not used to men being so thorough, are you? But I felt the way your nipples hardened when he scented you, my filthy ghuleh.” And then he nods in agreement with the clown. “She is delicious. And she is all ours…” He punctuates his words with a nip to your ear and a firm pinch to your nipples.

Johannes licks your folds, letting his nose nudge your clit. “And what a beautiful, tasty plaything she is. Sinking our cocks into her again will be … mmmmmmm.” He returns to running the flat of his tongue from bottom to top, over and over, and your muffled wails and moans become one long scream when he suddenly stiffens his tongue and shoves it as far into your cunt as he can go, licking your inner walls with each thrust of his long, talented tongue.

At the same time the clown does that, Papa pinches and pulls your nipples hard, making your back arch and your hips lift off the bed. “Do you like getting fucked by that long tongue, ghuleh? You like knowing that he’s tasting every drop you have to give in there?” You nod frantically, and he laughs into your ear again. “I cannot wait until you are spread wide by our cocks. I just simply do not know if one of us should take your ass or your mouth. We shall see, I suppose…”

Johannes pulls out of you only to quickly slide two long fingers in while he licks his lips. “Call me greedy, but I want it all, Papa, every last bit, every hole.” He adds a third finger and your cry is loud even around the glove. In and out his fingers move and he latches on to your clit, swirling his tongue around the nub and sucking hard. Your hips buck in time to the rhythm of his fingers.

“Well, I can hardly blame you.” You feel Papa smirk against your hairline. “Can you imagine what she will look like with our seed leaking from every hole? The very thought of filling her over and over makes me…ravenous…” And his hips roll into your back, showing you the very large evidence of his arousal, and your eyes squeeze shut from overstimulation, not caring that Johannes wants them open.

Johannes stops sucking only long enough to say, “No need to imagine when we’re going to make it happen tonight,” and then he returns to sucking, increasing the pressure of his lips and tongue, and the speed of his plunging fingers. Your hips are bucking faster too, and you are riding his face, your juices smearing on his skin.

Papa groans, biting down on your neck as he watches Johannes work. You are dripping around his fingers, the wet sound of you audible in the room, and you feel another orgasm fast approaching, as unstoppable as a freight train.

Johannes pulls away again with a wet slurp. “Yank the glove out of her mouth the second she starts to come.” His growl is nearly a gasp. “Goddammit she is the wettest, sloppiest thing…” and then he dives back in, his fingers never stopping, his mouth and tongue sucking harder than before. Soon your hips are snapping back and forth as you ride his face, the pressure inside you builds and builds, it feels like hours are passing, until finally your whole body tenses up, tight, and as the orgasm breaks, Papa pulls the glove out of your mouth and your shrieks fill the room. Johannes doesn’t let up, sucking and finger-fucking you through the entire orgasm.

“Yes, that is my good ghuleh. Come for him, drench his face, my sweet, sloppy girl…” Papa growls into your ear as his fingers pinch your nipples hard. You barely hear him through the roaring in your ears, and as you clench hard around his fingers, you feel yourself getting wetter and wetter. Papa starts laughing that evil laugh again as he cries, “Yes…that’s the way, ghuleh, squirt all over him…”

When Johannes finally lifts his head from between your legs, he laughs wildly, feeling your cum dripping down his face. He crawls up your body, brings his face close to yours, and rasps, “Lick it off, sweetness, taste yourself.” You swipe your tongue over his chin, kiss his lips, and do your best to clean his face, savoring the taste of his skin mingling with your fluids.

Papa reaches out with a cheeky smirk on his lips and swipes a finger down the side of Johannes’s face, collecting some of your slick. Bringing it to his lips, he groans at the flavor, growling into your ear, “Your cum is exquisite, my darling. I’d rather drink that than wine.”

Johannes pushes your tangled hair out of your face and looks deep into your eyes. “Good god damn but you are a sight to behold when you are coming. You’ll look even better when you’re coming around my cock.”

You smile tiredly at his touch, eyes barely open as you take in his skin, glistening from your saliva and leftover juices. “I don’t know how much more I can take, Johannes…”

Papa growls into your ear, fingers tangling into your hair and pulling back, baring your throat. “You will take whatever we give you, ghuleh, or else…”

You shudder at his tone, and somehow your cunt clenches again. Cheekily you murmur, “Is that a promise?”

Johannes wraps his large hand, still slick with you, around your neck and squeezes just a bit. “Oh we promise, little brat. You’ll take it, and you’ll like it.” He grins menacingly.

You gasp at his hand there, but your eyes flutter shut in obvious enjoyment. Papa smirks, hands gripping your hips hard. “What a kinky little girl, enjoying being choked. Well…a gentleman never makes a lady wait.” And he shifts off the bed and slowly, slowly, starts unbuttoning his shirt, revealing creamy skin, hairless until just under his navel, and your mouth waters.

The clown, already naked, watches Papa for a moment, grudgingly admitting to himself that the man is extremely attractive, then he stands, staring down at you. You suddenly find yourself wishing for more eyes. You never dreamed two gorgeous men…especially these two gorgeous men…would be standing like this before you.

Your moan at the sight before you makes Papa smile. “Yes, you are enjoying this sight, aren’t you? You have been good for us, coming so hard…would you like a reward?” You bite your lip, but nod. “I thought you might. Come here then…you may undress me the rest of the way.”

Slowly you get up and shakily crawl toward Papa, sitting back on your heels and reaching for the fastenings of his pants, fumbling as you undo them. You feel Johannes move behind you, running his hand lightly down your back. “Nice and slow, sweetness.”

You bite your lip, eyes darting up to meet Papa’s intimidating yet indescribably sexy two-toned stare. The buttons come undone, the zipper is pulled down, and the cloth peels away. He does indeed go commando under his clothes, and his erection springs free, rock-hard and leaking. “You see what you do to me, my sweet ghuleh? Tasting you, touching you, watching you come and come…I do not believe I have ever been so hard in my life…” He smirks, leaning down and growling in your ear, “You have a very long afternoon ahead of you, my pet.”

“And she’ll love every minute of it,” Johannes said, voice dark with promise. You turn to him and gasp at his equally hard cock. You watch as it twitches, then look back and forth between the two men, gnawing at your bottom lip.

“Please may I touch you? Both of you?”

Papa smirks, reaching out and taking your hand. “Because you asked so sweetly.” He brings your hand to his length and wraps your fingers around him, groaning at the slight relief your touch gives him. His hips start swaying, those gloriously inhuman hips, and his length slides over your palm, hot to the touch and silky soft over the hard muscle.

You stare at him, almost hypnotized by his movements, by the feel of his flesh in your hand. Then you turn toward Johannes and reach your other hand toward him, imploring him with your eyes. “Oh sweetness,” he hisses as he puts his cock in your hand. “Soon I am going to put that in your sweet, sweet mouth.”

You lick your lips, smirking at him as you slowly caress both of the men. You are starting to feel a little bold…a little….powerful, perhaps? It’s not a familiar feeling…but you think you just might like it. “I can’t wait to taste you like you tasted me, Johannes,” and as you say his name you swipe your thumb over the sensitive grooves in each of their tips.

They both groan, Johannes tossing his head back, and your smirk turns into a full-blown grin. What a sense of power to be in control of these two dominant men. You stroke them both several times, picking up drops of their precum and spreading it over their cock heads. Johannes reaches out, tangles his hand into your hair, gentle at first, then suddenly he yanks hard, causing you to inhale sharply. “Wait no longer, sweetness,” he rasps, and he uses his grip on your hair to tug you forward so that you’re on your hands and knees in front of him, his cock pointing directly at you. “Give us a taste.”

You lick your lips, eyes riveted on the drop of precum rising to the top of his dick. You meet his eyes and grin despite his fingers in your hair, and your tongue swipes out, licking up the drop eagerly. But the grin on your face disappears when you feel Papa’s fingers slide over your slit. You can hear the smirk in his voice as he slides a finger into you and says, “Why the jump of surprise, ghuleh? Take him in your throat. You have work to do.”

“He’s not wrong,” Johannes says with a laugh. “I need your lips around my cock right goddamn now.” Both his hands are in your hair now and he pulls you forward, drawing you onto his length, and Papa’s finger in your cunt seems to push you forward, and with no warning you have Johannes’s whole cock in your mouth, the tip hitting the back of your throat, and he holds you there for a few seconds. “Christ fuck,” he groans. He starts moving you up and down his length, using his grip on your hair to guide you, slow at first, while Papa’s finger glides in and out at the same excruciating pace.

Writhing back on Papa’s finger, you whimper into Johannes’s cock. Tears gather in the corners of your eyes, both from his length in your throat and from how good they both feel. You hear Papa groan behind you, and suddenly his finger is gone. “No more games, ghuleh. I need to be inside you, now.” You feel him shift behind you, and then the head of his cock is at your entrance and he’s pushing in and you’re stretching wide around him and you’re screaming into the clown’s dick and you hear Johannes laughing again…

Papa bottoms out in you and holds himself there just as Johannes hits the back of your throat again. He stills as well and they just hold you there between them, impaled on their cocks. “Fucking gorgeous,” Johannes growls. Papa groans his agreement. And then they both begin to move.

Your eyes widen as Papa’s hips snap against yours. You cry out into Johannes’s cock as Papa grips your shoulders, using your body as leverage to get a harder thrust. He sets a steady pace, bottoming out each time he enters you, and soon you are so aroused again that Papa’s thighs are slick with you. “Fuck, ghuleh, that’s it. Take all of my cock. Your cunt feels so fucking good…”

Johannes is moving your head up and down, pace quickening, and your mouth is sliding along his length and every time he brings your lips close to his head, you try to swirl your tongue around it. Johannes punctuates every thrust with grunts. “Fuck…so…take it…again…fuck…your mouth…suck it…” and you’re lost in a lust-filled haze where nothing seems real and everything is very real all at the same time.

Papa’s pace quickens as well, and suddenly his fingers slide around your hip, three of his fingertips gliding rapidly over your still-slick clit. “Come, ghuleh, I need you to come all over your Papa’s cock. You can do that, can’t you?” And it takes almost nothing for your orgasm to start, and you wail into Johannes’s dick as you clench hard around Papa, making him cry out and come as well. You feel every hot spurt inside you, and he doesn’t stop moving through it, making his hot seed spill out of you and down your thighs.

Johannes suddenly holds your head in place and he roars as he erupts in your mouth, his cum jetting in you. Your cry is cut off as some of his hot fluid gets down your throat and some of it leaks out your mouth, around his cock. You try not to choke as you do your best to swallow what you can.

Slowly their movement stops, and they pull out of you. Your legs collapse under you and you slump down onto the bed, gasping for breath. You feel Papa’s hands on your hips, pushing your ass in the air, and his fingers spread your lower lips. He groans, watching as his seed bubbles up around your opening. “What a glorious sight… Johannes, do you see this?”

The clown grins as he gazes at the cum dribbling from your entrance. “Fucking amazing,” he rasps. “Let’s make it even better…” and he reaches over, gathers up some of the leakage on his fingers, and begins to smear it around your lips and the smaller entrance to your ass, making you cry out faintly at the sensation—you are so over-sensitive now that they could breathe on you and you’d react violently. “Gotta get her ready, don’t we?”

Papa groans deeply at the sight, grinning at the clown darkly. “I was going to suggest the lube in the nightstand right there, but I believe I like your idea even more. Allow me to assist.” And his own fingers dip into you, gathering even more and letting it dribble over your back entrance and Johannes’s fingers. You are squirming so hard at the feeling, a thousand questions burning through your mind, and you can’t believe they are doing this.

“Grab it anyway…the wetter the better, I say. And I think this dirty little treat might never have been sampled back here before so…” Slowly, so slowly, Johannes presses one wet finger against your back entrance, staring intensely as his finger sinks in just a bit, then comes out again. Over and over he lets his finger sink in just that little bit and come right back out, never looking away.

You actually let out a squeak of surprise at what that feels like, and out of embarrassment you push your body forward, pulling off his finger and trying to crawl away. Unconcerned, Papa slips off the bed, saying, “Grab her, will you?” as he rummages around in the nightstand.

“Ah-ah-ah, sweetness, you’re not going anywhere.” Johannes chuckles as he quickly grabs you around your middle and holds you down, administering a sharp slap on your ass. “We are so not done with you. We are never going to be done with you.”

You let out another squeak as he catches you, and a gasp at the slap. The clown can feel you trembling against him as you try to form coherent words: “But…that’s…you can’t…I-I’ve never… I-it’s gross!” Meanwhile, Papa is muttering to himself, trying to find the lube amongst the dozens of sexual items in that dresser. He chuckles to himself and murmurs, “At least we are well stocked…”

The clown wrestles with you for a few minutes until he finally has you in his arms, holding you tightly against him, your arms pinned to your sides, and he looks down at the embarrassed expression on your face and his smile is almost gentle…for him. “Oh sweetness, you only say that because you’ve never experienced it. Or…perhaps you’ve never experienced it done right.” He kisses your forehead, your nose, and then your mouth, and you whimper. You can feel his cock hardening again. “Papa and I will fill you and you’ll love it so much you’ll come buckets. I promise.” He looks over at Papa. “For fuck’s sake, man, how much shit do you have in that drawer?”

Papa shoots him a smug look as he tosses some condoms at the clown. “Unlike some people, I am prepared for every sexual encounter possible, and some slightly impossible. The lube simply fell deeper in.” He smirks darkly. “Unless you are telling me you cannot keep our ghuleh entertained for a moment.”

The clown lets the condoms fall on the bed, and the flabbergasted look on Johannes’s face would have made you laugh if you weren’t so damned nervous. “You wound me, Papa.” He snugs you up even closer to him, your breasts smashed against his chest, and one of his hands glides down your back and smooths across your ass. “Doesn’t she look entertained?”

Papa snorts as another dildo goes flying. “She looks terrified, clown.” On your end, you let out a small “oooph” as you get smooshed against Johannes’s chest. Your body quivers as he touches your ass, and you can feel your blush getting worse and worse.

Johannes snorts as the dildo flies across the room. Then he turns his attention back to you. He hums as he gazes down at you. “Oh sweetness,” he murmurs. “I know you are scared but we would never do anything that wouldn’t give you utter pleasure.” He runs his hands up and down your body, gentling you. “We will make your body sing for us and you will never be the same.” And he kisses you, slow and demanding. Your mouth opens and his tongue slides along yours. The kiss deepens and slowly, slowly you melt against him.

Papa smiles at the sight and murmurs, “That’s more like it, Johannes.” Finally finding the lube, he turns and crawls over the bed toward you. While you are involved with kissing the other man, Papa gently spreads your cheeks and pours a healthy dollop of lube over your asshole. You gasp into Johannes’s mouth, tensing up at the foreign feeling. “Just relax, ghuleh. Trust your Papa.” One hand smooths soothingly over your back, and the other spreads the slick liquid over your puckered hole. You breathe out heavily into the clown’s mouth as Papa’s finger starts doing what Johannes’s was a few minutes ago.

One of Johannes’s hands moves to your breast, plucking at a stiff nipple; the other slides into your hair at the side of your head, anchoring you in place while he continues to kiss you. Zings of electricity seem to shoot from your nipple directly to your clit, and the pleasure almost blocks out the fact that Papa’s finger is gradually sinking deeper and deeper into your hole with each small thrust. Soon he is up to his first knuckle in your ass and you are swaying with his rhythm. “That’s it, sweetness,” Johannes whispers into your mouth. “Let Papa get you ready. Let him in… let him in…”

Your entire body is keyed up to the point where each small movement of both men around you sends shivers through your whole body. Papa halts once he is in to the first knuckle, letting you get used to the feeling of something breaching there. “You’re doing so well, ghuleh. You are taking me perfectly, my good girl.” Gently, gently, he keeps going, slipping his finger slowly to the second knuckle, murmuring praises to you the entire time.

Without realizing it, you’re starting to meet Papa’s thrusts with your own, making his finger go in farther each time. “Such a hot little thing,” Johannes says as he very carefully and very slowly lies back on the bed, bringing you with him as he keeps your kiss going. He helps you straddle his hips as you lie on top of him, kissing him as if your life depended on it. His cock is rubbing along your folds and your clit, back and forth, back and forth, not quite slipping into your cunt, but getting closer with each movement.

You wail into his mouth, shuddering hard at so much stimulation. “That’s my good girl,” Papa praises, pulling his finger almost all the way out and then slowly sliding it back in. You try to remember to relax for him, but you keep getting distracted by Johannes’s kiss and the feel of his tip on your clit. After what feels like forever, Papa’s finger is moving easily in you. “All right, we’re going for two now. Nice and slow…” A second finger, lubed up and slick, presses in alongside the first, and you cry out into the other man’s mouth as you stretch further.

“Oh sweetness, see how wet you are, so sloppy wet. I can just…slip…” and his cock slides right in your cunt and all three of you moan together. “My dick loves this cunt, it was made for me, made for us, wasn’t it. Fuuuuck.” He fucks into you as Papa is sliding his fingers out, pulling partway out as Papa pushes his fingers farther in, and the erotic rhythm has you hypnotized. The wet sounds you’re making harmonize with your whimpers and the men’s groans.

“Oh my ghuleh, you’re doing so wonderfully. Here’s number three, lovely…” A third finger enters, easier this time, and you cry out at the stretch, not painful this time but sinfully pleasurable. You feel so full, and every muscle in your body is trembling at how good you feel right now. Your forehead presses to Johannes’s collarbone as overwhelmed tears drip onto his skin.

Johannes’s hands stroke your hair, your back, up and down your sides, finally settling on your hips, gripping firmly and helping you slide up and down his cock. “You are a goddess, a beautiful goddess,” he murmurs in your ear. “You’re taking everything we have to give you.” Your nipples scrape against his chest, your clit rubs against him with every thrust, and Papa’s fingers scissor in and out of your ass…so much friction, so much sensation…your body starts to shake.

“I can feel you trembling in here, ghuleh. I think that it is time for you to take me fully now…” His fingers pull out of you, and you feel strangely empty without them there. You hear the wet sound of him slicking up his cock with the lube. His tip presses to your hole, and despite yourself you tense. “No, no, my pet, you have to relax for me.” He presses kisses up and down your spine to soothe you. “Remember how good my fingers felt? My cock will feel so much better…”

Johannes hums his agreement. “Let Papa take you, sweetness.” He bottoms out in you and holds you there, then moves one hand from your hip to your hair and he pulls, gently this time, forcing you to lift your head and look at him. “You are a goddess. You deserve to be fucking worshipped. Breathe and let him in and we will worship you and your beautiful body. Burn with us…”

His words, the singsong rhythm and tone of his voice, are mesmerizing…you nod. “Yes. Yes please.”

You take a deep breath, closing your eyes and forcing all the muscles in your body to relax. You lie down on Johannes, your forehead pressed to his neck, and you let out a little sigh. Papa smiles, running a gentle hand down your back. “That’s my ghuleh…” Slowly, slowly, he pushes in, and when you want to tense you force yourself to breathe and relax instead. After what seems an eternity, he’s fully inside you. “Fuck, you are almost painfully tight back here.. You feel magnificent…” You barely hear his words, however, as the feeling of both of them filling you to the brim has totally blanked your mind out. There is no thinking, no words. Just heat and pressure and their skin and scent and searing pleasure.

For once the clown is silent. All three of you are still, and the only sounds in the room are harsh panting and an occasional moan or grunt from one of the men. Finally, after what feels like an hour, Johannes groans, “Christ, we’ve gotta move or I’m gonna fucking explode.” His hands still on your hips, he slowly pulls you almost all the way off his cock, just the tip still inside you. He hisses at the feel of his cock sliding against Papa’s, separated only by your inner walls. He pauses, holding you right on the edge, then lets you sink back down on him…and as his cock moves back in, Papa pulls his cock part-way out, just as slowly. And that is when you start to wail.

“Sweet Satan, this is…fucking incredible,” Papa moans. The pressure inside your ass is devastating in the best way possible, and his forehead presses to your spine as he focuses on not coming already. He too hisses as his cock slides against the clown’s. But you notice none of that because you are so lost in the haze of pleasure. You don’t even know the noises you are making—all you know is that this is the best you’ve felt in your entire life and you never want it to end.

The three of you fall into a heated rhythm of movement, slowly at first but picking up speed until everyone’s hips are grinding together. You are surrounded by their scents, their skin, their heat…you’re drowning in them, drowning in the sounds of slapping flesh, your breathless cries and gasps, the men grunting and cursing as they grip you tight and try to keep themselves from coming before you.

You only need one tiny push to send you over the edge. You lean forward, letting your nipple drag over Johannes’s lips, and at the same time you take Papa’s hand and slip it between you. His fingers find your clit, manage one swipe, and it’s over. Your scream as you come sounds like someone is murdering you, and you wonder how anyone could survive this much pleasure. Then even that is seared away in a torrent of heat and lightning. You strangle their cocks, and Papa roars wordlessly as he has no choice but to come, filling your ass to the brim with scalding hot seed, hips losing any semblance of gentleness or rhythm.

Johannes howls as his orgasm erupts and now you are overflowing. The three of you are simply a mass of writhing, heated flesh as you rock each other through the sensations ricocheting through you. Finally your orgasm begins to fade and you collapse on top of Johannes, tremors rolling through you like the aftershock of an earthquake.

Gasping for breath, disheveled and trembling himself, Papa collapses on top of you, his cock still twitching deep inside your ass. “Unholy…shit…my ghuleh… I have not…felt like that…since I was younger…” Gently, slowly, he pulls out of you, and despite the fact that you are gasping for air yourself, you turn crimson as you feel his seed trickle out of your ass, and you hide your face in Johannes’s neck out of embarrassment.

Johannes’s chuckle is low and soft for him. “Now, sweetness, don’t you think it’s a bit late to be getting embarrassed?” He makes you look at him. “You are beautiful. Seeing you like this is…a gift.”

Papa smirks. “A gift indeed.” You feel his hands spread your cheeks again as more of his seed dribbles out. “Get your cock out of her, clown. I want to see her leak.” Despite Johannes’s words, Papa’s wish makes you blush all over again.

“Mmmm yes. As do I,” Johannes says as he pulls out of you, and helps Papa maneuver you onto the bed. Johannes’s cum seeps out and gradually begins to mingle with Papa’s and both men groan as they stare at the sight. “Good god damn, that looks even better than what I thought it would.”

Both men’s scrutiny on your dripping holes is too much to handle, and your hands come up and cover your face, what skin showing around them a bright red to match the sheets you are currently defiling. “G-guys, I think I’d really like a shower…”

Papa starts laughing, reaching down and prying one hand away from your face. “A shower? My adorable little ghuleh, that implies that we’re actually done with you.”

“But…but we…” you gasp, and both men laugh.

Johannes drags one long finger along your still-leaking slit. “How soon we forget… Remember I told you we’ll never be done with you? I wasn’t exaggerating.” He looks at Papa. “Got any cuffs in that drawer?”

Papa scoffs. “Really, Johannes, who do you think you are talking to?” He smirks to the other man as he gets off the bed again. “Do you prefer fuzzy or not?”

“N-now hold on a minute, s-since when were cuffs going to be involved?!” For the second time that afternoon you find yourself attempting to crawl away, and in the back of your mind you wonder if even your hyperactive libido can withstand this.

Johannes’s laugh echoes through the room as he grabs you by the arm, almost as an afterthought, and pulls you back alongside him. “I don’t know too many people who can offer fuzzy and non-fuzzy cuff options.” He cups one of your breasts, caresses the nipple with his thumb. “Given the state of that damn drawer of yours, how about we use whichever pair you can find first?”

You let out a squeak as he pulls you back, and a small gasp at the soft touch on your nipple. You swallow hard as you watch Papa start rummaging again, and he sends a slight glower at the other man. “To satiate your impatience, clown, I’ll agree.”

You swallow, and suddenly declare, “I have to pee!” You manage to pull away from Johannes and, forcing yourself to stay calm as you walk to the bathroom, successfully enter the lavish room and shut and lock the door behind you.

You lean against the door, feeling shaky. You have no idea how long you have before one or both of them come knocking, and you’re not even sure why you’re hiding in the bathroom other than needing a minute away from the nonstop intensity of Papa and Johannes combined. Well…that and a good pee probably is a good idea…

Sitting down on the toilet, you look around, really taking in the details of the bathroom for the first time (the last two times you were in here, you weren’t in any state of mind to take in the decor). Papa’s personal bathroom is as lavish and sensual as he is, with black marble countertops and the same color for the tub and shower. You blink, squinting your eyes, and realize with a surge of lust and trepidation for later that there are built-in restraints in the large shower stall.

They really aren’t joking, you think. They aren’t anywhere near done with me. You’re no longer completely sure you can handle everything these two are capable of.

You swallow hard as you finish your business and wash your hands. You rub some hot water over your face for good measure, and take in your appearance. Hickies litter your neck, and your nipples are pink and swollen lightly from the clown’s bites earlier. There is a bruise in the shape of Papa’s teeth on your left thigh, and your pussy lips are still swollen. You bite your lip, studying your appearance and wondering for the millionth time just how you got in this situation, when a sudden loud knock at the door makes you jump.

“You ok, sweetness?” A brief pause and then, “Don’t make us come in there and get you.”

You take one last look in the mirror and then shake yourself. “You’re in too far to back out now, not that they’d let you,” you whisper to your reflection. “So don’t be a coward, you idiot.” You move to the door, unlock it and open it, only to run smack into Johannes, who is standing right there, hands gripping the top of the doorframe.

“What were you saying?” he asks.

In spite of the pep talk you just gave yourself, you blush at him being right there. “W-What? I… Nothing, Johannes.”

Across the room, Papa snorts. “Do you really think he believes that, my pet?” He watches you, a set of regular handcuffs dangling from his finger.

Your mouth moves but no sound comes out. Johannes grins, that wide, impossibly large grin that takes up half his face. “Good thing Papa found those cuffs. Useful for getting filthy little sweet treats to speak up when someone has asked them a question.”

In spite of knowing what the consequences will be, you squeak and slam the door in his face, locking it. You hear Papa bark a laugh and walk closer. “Johannes, if you keep scaring the shit out of her like this, she will call the rest of the day off. Go and sit on the bed until you can control yourself.”

“You know, despite what you may think, you aren’t actually the boss of me,” you hear Johannes say, but his voice seems to be moving out of range. After another minute there is another knock on the door.

“My precious ghuleh, the mean clown has gone and sat down. You can come out to your Papa now.” His voice is soothing, and even as you hesitate, you want to open the door. Your want wins out, and the dark pope smiles and gently pulls you into his arms. “My pet, that was very rude what you did to Johannes. We will address that in a moment. You do not need to be scared. We will not make you do anything you don’t want. The cuffs will enhance all the pleasure, I promise you.”

You swallow hard, but nod. “A-all right, Papa.” You peek around the man and look to the very nearly pouting clown on the bed. Meekly, you say, “I’m sorry, Johannes.”

“Not as sorry as you’re going to be,” the clown says. You squeak once more, and Papa shoots Johannes an exasperated glare. Johannes sighs, then rises and moves toward you and Papa. “No, no, sweetness, I should apologize. I sometimes get … intense.” He strokes your hair and picks up your hand, kissing the palm. “Forgiven?”

In spite of yourself you smile at his kiss and nod. “Yes. I am sorry, too. I thought I would be able to uh…handle this better. But it’s been…even more intense than I thought it was going to be, and the um…butt stuff threw my confidence off. I really have loved everything you’ve both done.”

Papa laughs and takes your other hand, kissing your palm. “My sweet, do you honestly believe we would not notice that you get wetter the more embarrassed you are?” Your mouth works soundlessly, the blush deepening on your face.

Johannes moves closer, drops kisses from your palm to your wrist and up the length of your arm. “We notice everything, sweetness, don’t think you’re hiding. We see you. And you are perfect just the way you are.”

Papa follows suit, lips caressing your skin. “I agree, dear one. Do not be ashamed of your kinks. Embrace them, as we embrace you.”

You can’t help sighing and relaxing, and you close your eyes and allow a soft smile to lift your lips. “All right…you can put the cuffs on.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lesson continues...

Johannes moves behind you once again, gathers all your hair into his hand and lifts it up, delivering hot, open-mouth kisses behind your ears, then the back of your neck, making you squirm. “You’re going to look beautiful bound before us.”

You shiver, closing your eyes and sighing in pleasure, before looking to Papa. “Um…could I use a blindfold too?”

Surprise flits over his face, but Papa smiles. “Absolutely. I have just the one in mind for you, it will be perfect.” And he trots back over to the nightstand.

“Hopefully the blindfold is near the top of that damned drawer,” Johannes rumbles as he moves around to your front and drops to his knees. Wrapping his hands around you, he grips your ass and brings you closer so he can place more of his open-mouth kisses on your mound. “You aren’t leaking anymore… We need to fix that…”

“It should not take me long. Besides, I think that you’ve found something to occupy your time with,” Papa said, turning his attention to the drawer of goodies.

You gasp, flushing in arousal, and tangle your hands in his hair. “J-Johannes, you don’t have to…not after you both came inside me…”

“Shhhh, sweetness, nothing is going to keep me from your beautiful cunt.” He inhales deeply in between his kisses, and your blush turns violently red. “Take your time, Papa, I have plenty to keep me entertained.”

You hear a soft chuckle from Papa, and you close your eyes, fingers carding gently through the clown’s hair. You let go of your insecurities and just let the man do as he wishes. You figure, if he wants to eat you out again, he can have at it. You aren’t one to turn down oral sex. You do wonder how much longer your legs will be able to hold you up.

The flat of his tongue glides over your clit again and again, and when he slides his middle finger into you, your grip on his hair tightens. He groans into you and your gasps turn into high-pitched cries. He suddenly sucks on your clit and your knees buckle…but Papa is immediately there behind you, keeping you from falling, and you melt into him.

“That’s it, my ghuleh, let him pleasure you. Enjoy that talented tongue of his.” And Papa kisses you, swallowing your moans as he holds you up. His hands cup your breasts, gently caressing your still-swollen nipples. You can’t believe how good Johannes is with his tongue, and quickly, much quicker than the last three, you feel an orgasm rise. Your heels drum on the carpet as your hips buck into his face, and you come with a scream into Papa’s mouth, who growls and kisses you through it.

Slowly…so slowly…Johannes pulls away from you, a strand of your cum still clinging to his lips. He growls when it finally breaks, licks his lips, and looks up at you. “There. You’re leaking again. That’s much better.” He keeps his finger inside you as he rises, running his tongue along your torso. When he straightens, he stares down into your eyes, but speaks to Papa. “Did you find the blindfold?”

You pant softly, swallowing hard at his finger still inside you. With every twitch of your body you can still feel it there. Papa gives a smirk and a nod, sliding an admittedly beautiful black silk blindfold with gold embroidery off his shoulder. “I think this will suit our goddess, no?”

“Very nice, Papa. You’ve got a great sense of style. May I?” Johannes slides the blindfold out of Papa’s hand at his nod of assent and begins to lightly drag it across your body.

“Of course I have a great sense of style. It is a prerequisite of being a Papa. Not just any man off the street can represent our clergy.” But he stares with rapt attention at the blindfold sliding slowly over your skin, making you sigh and squirm on the clown’s finger.

Johannes chuckles as he teases your nipples with the cloth and at the same time finds your most intimate spot inside you and starts to press on it. “I like to think neither one of us is just any man off the street.”

Papa chuckles as you cry out, hips bucking into the clown’s touches. “No, no we are not.” You gasp in shock as suddenly Papa’s finger is inside you alongside Johannes’s, and he chuckles darkly. “I think she is realizing that too.”

You moan as their fingers move in unison within you, making you writhe as they both seem to be pressing that one…particular…spot. When Johannes’s thumb also presses your clit, your orgasm shoots through you, making your whole body quiver between the two of them.

You come down slowly, slumping between the two men, and your tone is disbelieving as you gasp, “How am I coming so quickly?”

Johannes hums as he finally pulls his finger out of you, places it in his mouth, and sucks, watching you intently the entire time. “You’re incredibly hot. And we are incredibly motivated.” He holds up the blindfold. “Shall we, Papa?”

“Yes, let’s.” He takes the blindfold back from the other man and presses a kiss to your neck. “Are you ready, my ghuleh?” You bite your lip and nod as Papa hands Johannes the cuffs. The next kiss is pressed to your ear, and the blindfold is pulled over your eyes. You shiver at the feeling, and at the immediate heightening of your other senses. You can feel everything, especially the very insistent throbbing of your clit.

With the blindfold on, you’re no longer sure who is doing what to you, and that uncertainty suddenly hits you as you are spun around, and a rock of nerves falls into the pit of your stomach. As if he can read your mind, Johannes whispers in your ear, “Is it me, or is it Papa? Exciting, isn’t it?” He strokes your arms as he pulls them behind your back, and you feel the chill of the metal and the click of the locking mechanism as the cuffs are closed around your wrists. You swallow hard. You may have overestimated yourself this time.

Papa laughs into your ear, fingers suddenly tweaking one of your nipples. The sudden dart of pleasure up your spine has you gasping in shock. “I know exactly what you are thinking right now, dear ghuleh. Yes, you are in over your head. But I promise, you’re going to love everything we do to you…”

“I…I…” You swallow again, your throat is so very dry. “I know…I’ve loved everything you’ve done so far…”

Johannes moans in your ear, “That’s good to know … But we’re still not done with you.” And you are suddenly lifted into the air and tossed over a shoulder. Your squeal of surprise and fear echoes in your ears.

You hear Papa laughing off to the side, so you know you are over the clown’s shoulders. “I do so love the sounds she makes.” And suddenly his hand comes down with a playful crack on your ass. You cry out, not expecting that, and your hips buck against Johannes’s shoulders. “I cannot wait until she is screaming for us again…”

You squirm and wiggle, but in your position over Johannes’s shoulder and with your hands cuffed, you aren’t getting very far. But it doesn’t matter because in seconds he is depositing you on the bed, carefully maneuvering you so you are lying on your side. The mattress dips and sways and you can feel both men surrounding you, one at your front, the other behind you. Their hands and lips feel like they are everywhere at once.

You gasp for breath, senses on overload as you writhe between them. Their skin feels like warm satin sliding along yours, and both their mouths are suddenly on your nipples, sucking and stroking the hard nubs with renewed fervor.

There is a hand gripping your hip, and another hand squeezing your breast. Johannes’s hair slides along your skin, making you shiver. His wild laugh vibrates against you as two tongues circle your nipples. Someone lifts your leg, pulling it back and over one of their legs…and a rock-hard cock begins to slide against your mound.

You are drowning in lust, so much so that you don’t hear Johannes lubing up his dick behind you. As the slide of such a perfect cock takes your breath away, you feel slick fingers once again press against your back entrance, and you cry out as a finger slides inside easily. “Oh, my ghuleh, your cunt feels so good, even just like this,” Papa moans into your ear. His bangs brush against the skin of your face softly, and he smells intoxicating.

You marvel at how intense everything feels with your sense of sight taken away. The feel of their hair, their scents, the fullness of the finger in your ass, the cock sliding against your cunt… It is so much more than it had been earlier. Your whimpers as another finger slides into your back entrance devolve into one long cry.

“That’s it, my precious pet, let it out. Let us know how good we are at pleasing you.” And then his cock is pressing against your dripping hole, using just the tip to tease you slightly open, but then pull away to slide again along your folds. The slide and press is going to make you insane, and you may end up begging before long…

Soon you feel Johannes remove his fingers from your back entrance … And then his lubed dick is there, mimicking Papa’s press and slide at your ass. Both of them pressing and sliding in unison, one at your cunt, the other at your ass… Your wail is almost a scream.

Your skin is burning. The pit of your stomach is a bottomless void, and words are totally beyond you. The sheer pleasure sears your brain, and you’re actually worried you are literally going to catch on fire. And then, with a nod you can’t see, they both slide inside you at the same time, and Papa taps your clit once, and your orgasm forces itself on you with no warning. The dark pope in front of you lets out a strangled groan, and his fingernails dig into you as he rides out your walls strangling his cock.

Your scream is really more of a harsh rasping explosion of air; you can’t do much more than that because everything you’re feeling is so intense. Behind you Johannes is growling with every push into your ass. “Christ. Fucking christ. Good…god…fuuuuuuuuck.” His grip on you tightens as he unloads inside you, every jet of his cum bathing you in heat as his hands squeeze you so hard you’re sure there will be bruises, but you don’t care anymore.

Once the storm subsides, you’re all a gasping mess, but you notice that Papa is still very hard inside you. Whispering, because your voice is wrecked, you ask, “You didn’t come, Papa?”

He chuckles, though it is decidedly strained. “Of course not. I only thrust into you once. I wanted to enjoy your perfect cunt much longer than that.” His eyes flick to the other man, and his grin is slightly smug. “I do not blame you for not lasting, Johannes. It is…much tighter back there.”

“Fuck, man, I’m not even offended. God himself couldn’t have lasted longer…she’s so fucking tight…” the clown groans.

In spite of your breathlessness and still having two cocks in you, you snort a laugh, making them both groan as things tighten even further for a second. “Being fucked by god…now there’s a thought.”

Papa grins, and he’s trying not to show how strained it is. “We are fucked by god every day. You’d think we would be used to it.” You snort again, but couldn’t disagree.

Johannes buries his face in your hair, still breathing hard in between little kisses he drops here and there on your head. “Enh, that may be true, but this fucking is more enjoyable.” He casts a look at Papa. “You want me to hold her open for you?”

“By all means, if you can do so without quite pulling out of her yet. I would like to pop open the cork at the same time, if you will.” You know exactly what Papa means, and your face blazes red as Johannes laughs behind you. Your hands cuffed behind you means you can’t bury your face in them, so you settle for turning your head into the sheets instead.

“Oh no, sweetness, no more hiding that adorable blush of yours.” The clown is still laughing as he adjusts his hold on you and shifts a bit so he is lying more on his back, forcing you off the bed and lying more on him. You are totally exposed…your bound hands thrust your breasts out, your one leg is still hooked over Johannes’s, and now your red face has nowhere to go. The blindfold is the only thing still keeping you somewhat hidden. “There we go…” The clown groans long and loud. “Jesus, she’s so tight I think I’m getting hard again…”

“Have at her again if you wish.” Papa watches you, sighing softly. “What a beautiful sight…lips swollen, face red…nipples hard and aching…skin flushed in arousal…I bet your heart is pounding, yes? Thighs shaking…the way your asshole is spread wide around his cock…I’m sure it feels amazing, doesn’t it? And look at your pretty little cunt…dripping all for me right now…” And he slides home again, drinking down your cry as he sets a pace that’s almost brutal.

Johannes reaches around and palms both your breasts, squeezing hard and keeping you pinned to his chest. He begins thrusting up into your ass, punctuating each movement with a curse or a grunt. You are completely enveloped between the two men. Then Johannes moves one hand down and begins to rub your sopping clit in time with Papa’s thrusts.

Your mind goes blank. You’re vaguely aware of someone screaming, and that she sounds like you. All you can do is just feel, and all you can feel is burning heat and lightning racing through your limbs. Your fingers and toes are twitching without your consent, your hips can’t move, caught as they are between the two men. You come, and you come, and you can’t stop coming.

“Do you feel how wet she is, Papa? Fuck, it’s insane.” The clown’s movements are starting to get jerkier, less coordinated, but he doesn’t let up on your clit, rubbing it through your orgasms. “Fuck, I’m gonna come in her ass again.”

“Oh I absolutely feel it, Johannes. She is soaking the both of us.” His own thrusts are losing rhythm, and all he can do is nod at the other man before he too is coming, muffling his cry into your neck as he coats your insides with blazing hot cum.

Johannes’s final roar echoes through the room …and then all is silent except for harsh breathing and your raspy, exhausted sobs, the three of you a sweaty, cum-drenched mass of flesh.

“Give me…ten minutes… I can go…again…” And with no more prompting, Emeritus drops into a nap, still deep inside you. You can’t help a breathless chuckle, but then you freeze as the reality sinks in: he’s left you unguarded, handcuffed, and blindfolded with a very much still awake Johannes…You gulp audibly.

He chuckles in your ear—that sinister tone is just in your imagination, right?—and you shudder when he licks and nibbles your earlobe. “Are you scared, sweetness?”

You swallow hard, shivering at his tone. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little…but…it’s in a good way…I think…” You flush red and squirm. “Will…will you get out of my ass now?”

He rolls his hips, making you gasp. “Well, sweetness, I don’t know. Didn’t Papa say something about popping the cork together? He might not be too happy if I pop it without him.”

You squeak, cheeks going red once more as you feel him move in your cum-filled ass. “N-now that’s… Y-you can’t… Th-this isn’t…” You settle for just blushing and biting your tongue, knowing anything you say at this point he’ll just use against you.

The clown chuckles again as he slowly traces patterns up and down your sides. “How about a compromise? I’ll keep my cock in your ass a little while longer, but I’ll take the blindfold off.” His hands suddenly move to your breasts and he gives your nipples a hard pinch. “Deal?”

You gasp at the pinch, back arching, but then you smile faintly. “I would like to see what Papa looks like resting…a-all right, Johannes, deal.”

His hum of agreement vibrates through you. You hold your breath as he loosens the blindfold and pushes it down so that it rests against your neck.

You blink against the sudden brightness, but when your vision clears, you see Papa asleep before you. His face is peaceful in slumber, and a small smile plays around his lips. His bangs insist on draping down over his cheekbone, and though you don’t say a word, you can feel your body relaxing at the sight. Then you turn your head, looking at Johannes behind you, and you smile and whisper, “You are both so beautiful…”

Johannes’s face softens, and for the first time since this “lesson” began, you see just Johannes the man, not the intimidating clown who has been driving you mad with lust. “Oh baby girl, how sweet you are.” He trails kisses along your hairline. “So precious. Papa and I are lucky to have you.”

You smile, leaning into his touches, and your cuffed hands open and smooth over his hip. “You both? Lucky? I’m not sure luck has anything to do with any of this. Crazy and confused, yes, but lucky? I don’t think so.”

“Well, the circumstances are … unusual, I’ll give you that.” He continues to trace patterns on your skin and drop kisses along your temple. “But you could be really freaking out, trying to escape, all manner of things…yet here you are, in between us … it’s a rare woman who would handle this entire situation as well as you are. A rare woman indeed.”

Your eyes close at his caresses, and your body relaxes further, though you smile at his words.“To be fair, I did try to run a few times…but honestly…neither of you have truly done anything I haven’t wanted. I don’t really have many limits. Especially when it comes to you both…” Papa shifts in his sleep, mutters something in Italian, and then is still again.

“And that is why we are lucky.” He chuckles again as he cranes his neck to glance at Papa. “Ten minutes my ass. If he doesn’t wake up soon, I’m popping this cork whether he likes it or not.”

You grin, and if your hands were free you’d swat him on the shoulder. “Be nice, Johannes. He looks so peaceful. And I doubt he’s as young as you are.”

“You’d be surprised,” Johannes says with a snort. He turns his attention back to you. “Sooooo…no limits, you say?” His hands move up your sides and along your shoulders, and you feel the material of the blindfold move around your neck.

“W-well…very few limits anyway.” You shiver at his touch, and you wonder if he is taking the blindfold off you. In truth, since you were watching Papa sleep, you have no idea what he is doing back there.

“Maybe I shouldn’t ask this, given what…happened yesterday…but how do you feel about knives?” he asks, and you feel the material around your neck move more…tightening ever so slightly.

You swallow, head tilting back as you realize what he’s doing. “W-Well…t-to be honest you scared the crap out of me yesterday…and I don’t know if I’m keen on bleeding…no pun intended…b-but maybe sometime… i-if you were mock-threatening me, o-or cutting my clothes off…th-then yes, I m-might be into it…

“Hmmm, ok…probably too soon to get knives involved right now, completely understandable…” He hums again and the blindfold tightens a little more. “But maybe…maybe someday I could drag a blade along your skin and never cut you… Just…a cold blade against your hot skin…”

You gasp, eyes closing as you imagine what that would feel like. “Y-yes…yes I’d like that…someday.” A shiver runs through you at the feel of the tightening cloth, and he feels you clench slightly around him.

The cloth tightens more and you moan. “What else do you think you’d like? What dark fantasy can we bring to life for you, sweetness?

“I…” By this time, when you swallow, he can feel the resistance of your throat against the cloth. “I’ve always wanted to…to be tied down to the bed and…made to come until I beg to stop…and no one listening until I pass out…”

His growl at your words sounds wild, dangerous…and you tremble. The cloth gets even tighter around your throat…you can still breathe but not without the slightest extra effort. “I bet we can make that happen tonight…what do you think, Papa?”

Your eyes snap open to find Papa watching, head propped on his fist and a dark smirk on his lips. “Oh that will be very possible. Anything else?”

You swallow, trembling. “I… I kind of want to be chased…”

“I love a good chase.” The clown’s lips are suddenly right at your ear again. “What happens after you get caught? Do we force you to take us?” The cloth is still tight around your neck, and now he has a hand tangled in your hair. “Do you want us to make you fuck us?”

“Yes!” you cry breathlessly, squirming again between them. “Yes, fuck me until I forget my own fucking name…”

Papa laughs, reaching out and also tangling a hand in your hair. “What happened while I slept, clown?”

“We had a lovely getting-to-know-your-kinks chat, didn’t we, sweetness?” Papa laughs outright while the clown presses more kisses along your hairline. “And of course waited for you…can we pop this cork already?”

“You know, I am not as young as I once was. Be impressed I was able to keep up so far. Yes, we can—”

“W-wait a minute, what about you guys?” you say, looking between them.

Papa blinks in confusion. “What about us, sweetness?”

“W-Well, if we’re going to be doing this…regularly, since, well, apparently I can’t leave… it’s only fair that you both get your kinks indulged too. What do you want?”

Papa stares at you, at a bit of a loss. “…Truthfully, no one has asked me that in a very long time…”

Johannes’s expression is just as dumbfounded as Papa’s. “I’m not sure anyone has ever asked me at all…” He presses a gentle kiss to your forehead. “Very rare woman indeed.”

You smile softly to him, but then your smile turns cheeky as you say, “Well, take your time thinking about it. Learning new things about yourself can be eye-opening.”

Papa laughs, shaking his head. “One of these days, my darling, that smart mouth of yours will get you in trouble…and I so hope it’s with us…” You flush at the dark promise in his voice. “All right, Johannes, now.” And he suddenly pulls out of your pussy.

Johannes groans as he pulls out of your ass, and you cry out as you feel them slide against your inner walls. Johannes slides out from underneath you as quickly as he can, and both men hold your legs open wide. “Christ, it’s even better looking this time, look at her leak,” Johannes says almost quietly as he watches his and Papa’s seed seep out of you.

Papa watches, eyes dark and trained on your core. “My darling ghuleh…you are magnificent like this…”

Face red, you actually manage to smile at them this time. “I-I’m glad that you both are enjoying the um…fruits of your labor, I guess, but I’m also getting your sheets full of cum…”

Papa snorts. “That is what laundry is for, my dear. I am not worried about it in the slightest.”

Johannes chuckles. “The bed is big enough, there’s plenty of non-cum-soaked real estate to move to.” His chuckle turns into a full laugh. “Of course, the way this night is going, that probably won’t be true for much longer.”

Your blush deepens as Papa chuckles and replies, “Wouldn’t be the first time.” He reaches over and unlocks the cuffs. “Why don’t we get a quick clean-up before the next round begins?” He smirks to you and it’s dark and intense as he uses his two-toned eyes to full effect. “I’m sure you saw what was in the shower during your break earlier, didn’t you?” You swallow hard, but nod, unable to look away from those damn eyes of his.

Johannes sees you wince as you move, and he’s quick to help you sit up, rubbing your arms and helping you adjust from being cuffed behind your back for so long. “I was right, you know…you look gorgeous when you’re bound. “

Papa helps, rubbing the slight ache out of your other shoulder and arm. “I have silk ropes that match that blindfold. Could you imagine her done up in shibari with those colors?” He growls softly in the back of his throat, and you bite your lip.

“Mmmmmmmm, she would be radiant.” Johannes bites your neck, follows it up with an open-mouthed kiss. “There’s so much we need to do with you, to you, you know that, right?”

“Y-you can do pretty much whatever you want to me…” you breathe, closing your eyes at Johannes’s kisses.

“Are you sure? We’re keeping you here for your safety and…other things…but you can always refuse to do anything you truly don’t want to do,” Papa says seriously, fingers stroking your hair in gentle contrast to his voice.

You smile, and it’s joyful and hesitant all at once. “I know that. And I’m sure. Part of me…a big part of me…just wants you to keep me, do what you want with me….I think…I think I already know that I’m yours in my heart, I just need to convince my brain.”

Johannes throws his head back and laughs, the wild sound racing through you, and then he buries his face in your neck, peeking out at Papa. “It’d be like having a pet! Can we keep her, Papa? Can we? I promise I’ll take her for walks and feed her and everything!” He laughs again, and now you’re giggling at his suddenly goofy, silly antics.

In spite of himself Papa laughs too, a full belly laugh that just makes you laugh harder. But the mirth is cut off when he says seriously, “She’d need a leash.” Your thighs clench together, your eyes slam shut, and you shiver at the thought.

The clown pauses…then his face breaks into the wildest grin you’ve seen yet. “And a collar.”

You pale, not sure if you like that expression on him, and you scramble off the bed, dripping down your legs still. “H-how about that shower, guys?” and as you back away from the bed toward the bathroom door, they slide off after you, languid and predatory, and you squeak and run for the door.

Johannes growls and he’s not languid anymore. You’re reaching for the door handle when he is suddenly behind you, one hand covering yours on the door handle, the other fisted in your hair. “And here I thought we were saving the chase fantasy for later, sweetness,” he says on another growl, and he pulls you back into him. “It’s a good thing I can be flexible.”

You cry out, shudders working down your spine as you get caught. “W-We are saving it, Johannes! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run!” Papa says nothing, just watches how it plays out, a jaguar to Johannes’s wolf.

Johannes’s chuckle is dark, so dark it makes your breath catch. He uses his grip on your hair to pull your head to the side, and runs his tongue along the side of your neck, bottom to top. “You keep using that word…but I’m beginning to think maybe you’re not really as sorry as you want us to believe.” He grips your hair even tighter, pulls you back even closer to him, and his erection (holy cats is he ever not hard, you think wildly) digs into your back as he pulls your hand off the door handle. “I think you want me to come after you. I think you like it. I think you need it.”

You whimper, fear turning almost instantly into arousal as soon as you feel it, the change so quick it makes your head spin. “N-no, you’re lying…” but your voice is feeble even to you, and Papa snickers from his perch on the end of the bed, but still he says nothing. He seems content right now to let Johannes scare the shit out of you—indeed, as he watches, he’s palming his own fresh erection.

“Oh, lies is it?” Johannes tsks as he pulls your arm up and back, wrapping your arm around his neck. “The only lies I’m hearing are coming from your pretty, pretty mouth.” His fingers tickle you as he drifts them down toward your breasts. “Isn’t…that…right.” He slaps your breast, right on your nipple.

You cry out, trying to turn away from his hands, and bring your arm down. Betraying you, however, is your newly hardened nipple, and your face flushes. You bite your lip, not looking up at the other man, and by this time even the tips of your ears have turned pink.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave that beautiful arm exactly where I put it.” You freeze, breathing shallowly. He examines his handiwork. “You see? No lies from this hard little peak.” He gives it a pinch, then without warning he slaps your other breast and watches that nipple harden as you cry out again. “No lies here.” Another pinch. “Am I right?”

“…Y-you’re right. Y-yes, you’re right, Johannes,” you admit grudgingly, even as you’re trying not to squirm. He can feel your arm tensing, wanting to move, but forcing yourself to stay there. As a different show of defiance, you force yourself not to react verbally to his touches. Papa, meanwhile, is just slowly stroking himself and watching, eyes sharp.

Johannes quickly realizes what you’re trying to do and he chuckles. “How delightful, Papa. She thinks she’s going to stay quiet. How long do you think that will work?”

You swallow slightly, but glower up at him and stay silent. Papa chuckles, fingertips idly rubbing the dip in the head of his cock. “I don’t know, Johannes. She has been very stubborn today. Perhaps you’ll have to pull out the big guns.”

“Well, you’re the one with the bottomless toy drawer…” Johannes snorts. Then he stares down at you, absently pinching your nipple as his expression gradually becomes thoughtful…and dangerous. “I think I know exactly what will make our pretty bird sing again.” He looks back at Papa, a wild gleam in his eyes. “She told us herself…”

You swallow thickly, wondering which fantasy he has in mind for this. Either way you are worried, but especially if it is the orgasm-fest one. They can already make you come quicker than anyone you’ve ever been with, including yourself—you don’t want to know how that would work when just hours of them going down on you and using toys on you is put into the equation….

Papa smirks, head tilting faintly. “She did indeed. What is going on in your head, Johannes? What are you going to do to our silent pretty?”

“Ahhhhh….nothing she doesn’t already want,” the clown was practically purring. “But let’s start with that cleanup you mentioned. And by all means, sweetness, stay as silent as you can. I’m sure Papa and I will enjoy breaking that silence….after all, you’ll need to beg.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which many questions arise...and answers hard to come by...

Dread and anticipation work their way slowly down your spine, but you say nothing as Papa stands, leading you both into the bathroom to start up the water. The shower stall is more than big enough for the three of you. You stand next to Johannes as the water warms, hiding shaking hands behind your back.

“Why so shaky, sweetness?” Johannes smirks as he and Papa pull you under the shower head. “Unless Papa disagrees, we can forego the restraints in here. You’ll be tied down for a very long time soon enough.”

The warm water goes a long way in soothing your nerves. Johannes’s words do not. And neither does Papa when he chuckles. “Oh I don’t know…I have not gotten to use these in a while. It might be fun to get her dirty while getting her clean.”

Johannes bows to Papa. “I defer to your excellent judgment.” He looks you over, and groans at the sight of you, water running off your body. “Just when I think you can’t look more delicious…”

Papa smirks, hands running slowly down your arms, before taking your hands. “At the very least I want to know what she looks like…” He brings your arms over your head, securing the clasps over your wrists. The position forces your chest out, and you shiver hard as warm rivulets of water drip off your breasts and down over your thighs. “Oh. Oh, I think she is a keeper right there…”

The naked desire on both men’s faces is very nearly your undoing. You can feel a bubble of panic rising up in your chest–these two incredible men…shouldn’t be looking at you like that. You don’t belong here, being pleasured like this by them. The panic rises, crests, your eyes well with tears, and then…you feel something…change…you taste makeup on your lips, you feel a grin, wide and manic, steal over your mouth. A laugh bubbles up, forcing itself between your teeth and past your lips, and you…you have no idea what is going on anymore. Papa just barely stifles a gasp as the makeup that typically appears on Johannes’s face appears on yours. He looks at the clown, who’s also gaping, then back to you, taking a small step toward you. “Are…are you all right, ghuleh?”

You giggle, head rolling back against the wall. Your voice turns sing-song as you say, “Fine, fine, just fine over here! C'mon, is the party over already?”

“Oh-kay,” Johannes says as he steps in close, thoughts of the shower scene he’d had in mind quickly disappearing. You laugh, and Johannes startles…why do you sound like…why is there…?

Papa tilts your face up so you can look at him. “The party can continue as soon as we know you are all right, my ghuleh.” He reaches up to try to touch the makeup, and your teeth snap at his finger, making him pull back immediately.

“You guys don’t listen, do you?! I. Am. Fine.” You rattle your wrists against the restraints. “If we’re not gonna play, then I don’t wanna be in these!”

Papa frowns, looking at Johannes again. “I think we rather prefer you in them, my ghuleh.”

“Well, maybe I don’t care about your preferences,” you say with a huff.

Papa leans toward Johannes. “Do you have any idea how she looks and sounds like–”

“Me?” Johannes stares at you, unnerved. “I have no idea, but I gotta say, it’s…weird.”

You scowl at them ignoring you. “Hey! Let me the fuck down! Now! Nownownownow!” You’re all but screaming as you writhe against the wall, trying to pull yourself out of the restraints.

Papa’s eyes widen, and he pulls Johannes out of the shower. “Something is seriously wrong. This…is not her. But I do not know what could have changed…and that makeup…”

You hear yourself but these aren’t your words, your laughter, your actions. And you can’t stop the words from coming out of your mouth… “Either fuck me or let me out of here!” You shout, a wild noise that you’ve never made before….but then the makeup taste at your mouth starts to fade, slowly, and your body begins to feel like its yours again…as if you’re absorbing that inner wildness into your blood…and it fades slowly away as well… “I…what the hell…” you mutter.

Papa blinks as he hears you calm down. He peeks back in to the shower, and he sees you looking extremely confused, and the makeup is gone. You look over to him, tears welling in your eyes. “P-Papa?” His face softens, and he steps back as Johannes pushes inside the shower, letting you down and gathering you into his arms, slowly sinking down to sit on the the shower floor. Papa follows him in, kneeling next to you both and stroking your hair soothingly as you cry into Johannes’s shoulder.

“What the hell was that?” Johannes whispers to Papa as he holds you gently to him.

“I haven’t the faintest…one of my ghouls has an idea of what she could be, and he’s doing research on it now,” the dark pope whispers back, being careful not to let you overhear through your sobs.

The clown blinks. “What she…is? You mean, she isn’t human?”

“No, she is…” Papa sighs, rubbing your back softly as your sobs start to slow. “I’ll explain when I know more.”

Johannes looks down to you as your eyelids droop in exhaustion, your body unable to keep up with everything that’s happened today, and he sighs as well. “I can be patient…for her.” He smiles faintly. “Papa, I think we need to get this precious thing dried off and into bed.” He shakes his head, trying to get his wet hair out of the way. “I’m pretty sure we’re all drowned rats now…”

Papa nods, turning off the water and gently picking you up. “We can wash properly later. Will you grab some towels, Johannes?”

You can’t even open your eyes, but you still try to sleepily protest. “I can still…pleasure you both…more…”

Papa’s lips twitch into a smile as he says, “It would pleasure us both to watch you get some rest, dear one.” With a sleepy “Okay…” you are out like a light, and he chuckles softly. “Poor thing has been through so much since yesterday. She did so well with us though…”

Johannes wraps a thick towel around his waist and drapes another over your sleeping form. “She is amazing, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.” He frowns softly. “I am worried about that last…well, whatever that was. She sounded just like me when I’m in clown mode…”

Papa hands you over to him before taking a towel for himself. “I know. And right now I only have a working theory of why and how she did that…” He frowns, crossing his arms. “Hopefully Aether will know more soon…I want her happy here.”

Johannes looks down at your sleeping face, and his expression becomes so frightened so quickly it takes a lot for Papa to keep from laughing. “I …. umm … I wasn’t expecting to feel like this about her…. It’s a little…unnerving.” He raises his head, sees Papa staring at him with a knowing look, and heads for the bedroom without saying another word.

Papa follows the younger man into the bedroom, watching him as he lays you tenderly under the covers and presses a soft kiss to your forehead. “Are you going to run?” He can see how much confronting these softer feelings is scaring the clown, and he wonders where Johannes’s line is drawn. Neither one of them, admittedly, is used to dealing with love for a singular person before, but he gets the feeling the clown is even less used to it than he is.

Johannes glares at Papa. “Fuck that, and fuck you. I don’t run.” He looks back down at you, his gaze roaming the length of your body. “Even when I probably should.” After a minute, he shakes his head, dries himself off roughly with the towel around his waist, and slides into bed next to you. His eyes soften as he watches you slumber, and he gently brushes his knuckles over your cheek. He feels Papa watching him, and he scowls at the other man. “What?”

A soft smile on his lips, Papa also dries off. “You are a big softie at heart, aren’t you? It’s rather adorable.” He tosses the towel aside and slides in on your other side, pressing a soft kiss to your shoulder. “Forgive my question earlier, but you know I had to ask. There is a lot to work out, going forward…and I wanted to make sure that it was going to be the three of us working it out.” A pause, and softer, “For what it’s worth, I am glad you’re staying.”

Johannes slides one leg over yours as he rests his hand on your upper thigh. “Yeah, I get it. I’d have asked me too.” He buries his face in your hair, not caring that it’s still wet. “I know my first impression here was…bad. And I’m…rough…and kind of an asshole. But I’m not going anywhere, so that’s that.” He sighs as he closes his eyes. “Thanks.”

Papa chuckles faintly, stroking a soft hand down your stomach idly. “I do not know if I would call you an asshole, dear Johannes. Simply…intense. Which is not a bad thing. I do admit, I was enjoying watching you work tonight. And she was too. Who would have guessed our ghuleh has a shame kink?” He grins, watching you sleep. “That will be fun.”

Johannes chuckles, eyes still closed. “Everything about her is going to be fun. Scary, but fun.”

Papa smiles, closing his eyes as well finally. “Good point, clown. Good point.” And then silence descends in the room, the only sound being the crackling of the fire in Papa’s enormous (and unnecessary but it is sensual, dammit) fireplace, and the occasional snores from one of the three people in bed.

–

It’s warm. Really warm. Hot, actually. And…heavy? You lie still, trying to remember what exactly…and then it all comes rushing back to you…Papa…Johannes…everything they’d done to you… Your eyes fly open, and you try to jump up, but you’re completely pinned down by the two men sleeping on either side of you. They are both snugged up tight against you, arms draped over your body, legs tangled with yours…as if in their sleep they’d decided to bind you with their bodies as surely as they had with the handcuffs earlier…

You swallow, glancing carefully between the two men. Considering that Johannes’s head is lying on your chest, and your leg is under one of Papa’s, there’s no way you are getting out of this without waking them up. So, you just relax. You revel in the heat the two men put out—normally it would be oppressive, but body heat is different from regular. It warms more than just your skin—it warms your soul. And your soul is incredibly warm. You let a soft smile curl your lips, still not believing how things have changed in just two days. You grin as you hear Papa mutter something in Italian again, and you sort of wish you spoke the language.

For the longest time you doze lightly, running one hand idly through Johannes’s hair, as your mind runs through last night’s events. You still can’t believe you were thoroughly ravished by these two beautiful men… Suddenly you’re thinking about what happened in the shower, and you’re no longer dozing. You’re wide awake and anxious. They must think I’m insane. And I cried, didn’t I? Fuck, I did cry. Shit. Fuck. Fucking fuck…

“It’s far too early for you to be thinking so hard, sweetness,” Johannes mumbles into your skin.

You look down to him, blinking as you shove the panic to the back of your mind. “H-how do you know that?”

Papa presses a soft, mostly chaste kiss to your shoulder as he himself mumbles, “You are shaking, ghuleh. It is not hard to connect the dots.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” you say quickly. “It’s—”

“If you’re about to say it’s nothing, sweetness, you’d better think twice. I seem to recall some discussion about lying last night, don’t you?”

You take a deep breath, nodding. “S-sorry again. I…” The blush overtakes your face before you can stop it. “I cried and then passed out on your shoulder. I just…feel like an idiot right now.”

Papa laughs softly. “My dear, you went through a lot yesterday. You started unlearning unhealthy lessons, we kept you busy all afternoon…and the endorphins that are released during good sex make you let your walls down. And we had much, much more than good sex, I would say. Do not worry about sounding like an idiot—you sound like you, and we love that.”

“I don’t see how,” you mutter as quietly as you can.

Johannes lifts his head just enough so he can pin you with his stare. “How what?”

You sigh, then figure you might as well get it over with… After all this bliss can’t last forever… “I don’t see how you can love that about me…or anything else for that matter. And…and I know that you’re keeping me here for my safety, so please don’t feel like you have to keep me entertained like this all the time. I know that…I’m not much in the grand scheme of things, and you both have much more important things to do.”

“You will not speak like that about yourself in front of us, ghuleh. You’re not still on that ‘you’re nothing but a groupie/slut’ thing, are you?” Papa’s glare sears through to your soul. “At the end of the day, he and I are still…us. Not like normal men, certainly, but we can’t help what we are. And we have both set our sights on you, my dear. And nothing you say will change the fact that we think you are perfect.”

“But—”

Johannes presses one long finger to your lips. “No buts. All you’re about to do is say something negative about yourself again, and Papa just told you it’s not going to change our minds, so just don’t.” He begins to lightly rub your lips with that finger. “And yes, we are keeping you here for your own safety…” He grins widely. “But who said that keeping you safe had to be boring?”

You look at Johannes and pull slightly away, asking in a whisper, “But why? Why do you care so much? I mean…we just met two days ago…”

Johannes looks at Papa, who tilts his head and gestures with his hand, as if to say, “have at it, my good sir.” He looks back at you. “I don’t think we understand it either. I also don’t get how gravity works but I trust that it does. I think this is the same kind of thing.” He presses a kiss to your chest. “It feels crazy, and impulsive, and wild…but it also feels right. Maybe that’s just because I am crazy and impulsive and wild. But I don’t think so.”

You can’t help a faint smile at his words, but then you bite your lip. “But…okay, let’s say I decide to stay…but I’m not in danger anymore or…or you decide you don’t….” You swallow around a sudden lump in your throat, unable to actually say the words “you don’t want me anymore” and shocked to realize you’re already a little attached to the idea of staying. “I’d have to…leave…with nothing waiting for me back home—no job, no money, no apartment…”

Papa strokes a hand softly over your stomach. “I would not let that happen. If we part ways, you’ll be taken care of until you’re back on your feet.”

You look from one man to the other, continuing to worry your lip as you consider their words. “And you’re sure…absolutely sure…you want…me? Like this?”

Papa smiles, leaning over and kissing you deeply. His tongue caresses your lips, and you automatically grant him entry. They dance together, a perfect rhythm of taste and touch. Papa’s hands slide slowly down your arms, turning so his fingertips run over your palms, before he laces his long fingers with yours. You sigh into his mouth, sinking into the luxurious feel of his kiss. He really is a master at kissing, and as he pulls away it feels like you are surfacing from a warm pool. “Yes, my ghuleh…I, at least, am very sure.”

Johannes props himself up to watch the two of you kiss, stroking your hair. When you turn your gaze to him, his smile is soft. “I’ve never been this sure about anything.” He buries his face in your neck, and you’re pretty sure he’s whispering something but you can’t make out words.

You close your eyes, threading one hand through Johannes’s hair and the other through Papa’s. “Thank you…it’s been a long time since I was…wanted like this…”

“Only a fool would not, my sweet…” Papa murmured, fingertips stroking your face softly.

“And I know for damn sure my momma didn’t raise no fool,” Johannes growls, continuing to stroke your hair while his other hand moves to your neck, resting there lightly, not squeezing…yet.

In spite of yourself you burst out laughing, clapping a hand over your mouth to stifle your giggles. Papa grins, watching your eyes light up, and props his head on his fist. “You are radiant when you laugh…almost as beautiful as when you come…”

You gasp as Johannes’s innocent nuzzles become nips and nibbles on your neck. “I don’t know, Papa, it’s been so long since I saw her come, I’m not sure I remember what she looks like… I may need a reminder…”

You shiver, biting your lip as Johannes nibbles on your neck. Papa chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of your breast. “I think we still need a proper wash. We only got a little wet earlier. So to speak.” And his tone was extremely smug.

Johannes lifts his head, the expression on his face as smug as Papa’s tone. “I’m all for getting her clean, and getting her dirty, and getting her clean again. I’m totally flexible like that.”

“Could we…” You flush darkly as both men’s eyes flick to you at the same time, and you swallow. “Could we use the restraints again?”

Papa smirks and nods. “Is that what you want? You want us to wash you, my pet? You want us to get you off, make you come, with soapy fingers? Until you’re dripping yourself and suds all over our hands and arms?” You whimper and nod, hips squirming as heat blooms in your core.

Johannes growls, sounding like a predator that just spotted its prey. “I don’t know about you, Papa, but I was taught it’s not gentlemanly to keep a woman waiting for what she wants….”

“You are absolutely correct, my friend. Grab her, if you like.”

Johannes moves so quickly you almost don’t know what’s happening…like lightning, he’s off the bed, grabbing your ankle and tugging you toward him. You squeal when he grabs you around the waist and hoists you over his shoulder. “Come along, sweetness, lots to do,” he says as he delivers a sharp smack to your ass and strides to the bathroom, following Papa, who leads the way into the bathroom and starts the shower up. “We will wash your hair and your back before we cuff you in, my sweet.”

The water warms up quickly, and Papa hums happily as he turns to you and Johannes. “Ladies first, if she wishes.” You swallow as Johannes lets you down, and you walk into the hot water. You sigh, closing your eyes and turning your face into the spray.

After a few minutes Johannes comes up behind you, pouring shampoo into his hands and lathering up. When his hands touch your hair, you startle. “I…I can do that, Johannes, I don’t—”

“Shhhh…” he whispers. “I know you can. But I want to. In case you didn’t notice, I have a thing for hair…yours especially.” His long fingers sink deeper in and he lathers your hair and starts to massage your scalp. In no time you are melting into Papa’s arms as Johannes works a black magic on you that you didn’t know existed.

You groan, leaning heavily against Papa, every muscle loosening as Johannes rubs your scalp. “Yes, my pet…let Johannes take care of you…he wants to help you relax…”

Johannes hums his agreement as he works his long fingers through your hair. “I’m gonna want to comb all this out for you, watch it glide through my hands when it’s all smooth… I want to see it brush over my dick….damn, that’s gonna look fucking hot.”

You turn red again, opening your eyes though you don’t turn your head. “Y-you want my hair on your dick?”

Papa laughs, pressing a fond kiss to your cheek. “It is amusing finding out what turns you colors and what doesn’t.”

Johannes chuckles. “You asked about our kinks. That’s one of mine.” He continues to work your hair, drawing closer to you. “It’s a texture thing…when it brushes against me…” He presses his growing erection against you, and you both moan.

Papa hums, his own fingers digging into your hair where Johannes isn’t working. “I cannot say it’s unpleasant…perhaps if you ask nicely, Johannes, she will let you use her hair in a hand job.”

You blush, but look at the clown over your shoulder and murmur, “Very nicely…”

“Nicely?” Johannes scoffs. “Where’s the fun in ‘nicely’?” He tugs gently, playfully on your hair. “I don’t typically do ‘nicely’.”

You can’t help a grin as you snark back, “Really? I hadn’t noticed, you seem like a perfect gentleman.”

Papa laughs softly as he massages your scalp. “I see our rest has brought back your smart mouth. We will have fun taking it away again.”

Your giggle turns into an almost inaudible “eep” that makes both men chuckle. “What’s wrong, sweetness?” Johannes’s soapy hands slide around to your breasts and give your nipples a firm tweak. “Did you forget what we are capable of? Need a reminder?”

You gasp at the feeling of the suds sliding along your wet skin, and you swallow hard at his words. “T-trust me, guys, the memories are still very fresh…”

Papa smirks and murmurs into your ear, “Could have fooled us, ghuleh. Does that feel good? Oh, this is going to be so much fun…I think even more so for us, wouldn’t you say, Johannes?”

The clown’s face breaks into one of his impossibly large grins. “I should say so, Papa.” His hands roam your sides and stomach before one hand travels farther down and cups your pussy and the other hand returns to tweak a nipple. “Every inch of her is so….slick.”

You gasp, eyes fluttering shut as he cups you, and your hips push eagerly into his hand. Papa laughs softly and growls into your ear, “So eager, my pet. You can wait a little longer while we get you even more slick…” He gently pulls you under the spray and rinses your hair, groaning at how the suds run down your body. “What a sight…”

Johannes can’t resist moving behind you, tangling his fingers in your hair to help rinse the soap out. Gently he tugs on your hair, pulling your head back. You open your eyes and find yourself staring into his. “Dripping wet is a great look on you.” He leans over enough to take your mouth in a searing kiss.

You moan into his mouth, your own fingers tangling into his hair in return. Papa watches you kiss the other man, eyes dark, hands idly soaping up a washcloth for your back. He loves the way the water runs down your body, and he aches to lick trails over your skin.

When Johannes lets you come up for air, you suddenly turn to face him. “May I wash your hair?”

He looks startled, as if no one has ever offered to do something for him before. He shoots a quick glance at Papa and then smiles down at you. “Is my hair fetish rubbing off on you already?” he jokes as he hands you the shampoo.

“Well…it is beautiful,” you say with a shy smile as you lather up your hands and he turns around to give you access.

Your gasp is immediate and shocked. His back…every inch of it is riddled in horrific scars. Jagged ones from wounds that never healed well, sleek ones that feel the same as his normal skin, long, short, even some that are discolored. Tears well in your eyes at the sight, and even Papa is staring in distress. “Oh, Johannes,” you whisper, and you reach out and gently touch one of the bigger ones. “What–”

He whirls, grabbing your hand and staring down at you with a deadly serious expression. “Don’t. Just wash my hair. Don’t mention this.”

“But you…your back–”

“I know about my back,” he snarls, and his hand tightens slightly over yours. You wince slightly and try to tug your hand back, but he doesn’t budge.

“Okay, I-I’m sorry, I won’t…I won’t bring it up,” you whisper, your eyes wide.

Papa reaches over and grabs Johannes’s chin, eyes narrowing in warning. “Clown. You’re hurting her.”

Johannes stares defiantly into Papa’s mismatched gaze for a moment, before he lets go, a guilty expression on his face. “I…I’m sorry, sweetness. It’s just…not now. I don’t want to ruin this moment here.” You nod to him, and your smile is tentative, but there. He turns again and you reach up and start to lather his hair, trying not to focus on his scars, and eventually you start to enjoy the feel of the strands through your fingers. You think that maybe there is something to his kink after all, trying to distract yourself from what just happened. Papa steps up behind you, moves your hair off your shoulders, and starts scrubbing your skin with the washcloth, and his guarded eyes never leave Johannes’s back. He’s not staring at the scars, he’s being wary. But you sigh at the luxurious feeling, muscles relaxing again under his expert touch, unaware of Papa’s watchful glare.

Slowly you feel Johannes relaxing as well, though it takes longer than it normally would given what just happened. You smile faintly, glad you could provide that for him, then groan as Papa gets a knot out of your shoulder. “There are a surprisingly large number of these, my ghuleh. Were you under a lot of stress?”

You laugh mirthlessly. “That’s one way to put it,” you say, thinking back to the three crappy part-time jobs you have been working, one of which you were about to be laid off from, the pile of student loans and other bills that needed to be paid with money you were about to not have, the ex who had left you, the tiny walk-up apartment that isn’t worth the power to blow it up, the car that needs so much work done to pass inspection that it might be better to just get rid of it and walk everywhere, the medical bills… “That’s definitely one way to describe it.”

Papa frowns as your shoulders stiffen, undoing all the work he just did. “Hey. Hey now, beautiful one, you don’t have to live that life anymore, if you stay. Johannes, distract her, I’m honestly afraid she’s going to tear something back here.” He drops the washcloth and lathers soap between his palms before massaging your back again, firmer than before.

The worry in Papa’s voice makes Johannes spin around quickly, taking in the tight expression on your face, the tears threatening in your eyes. “Oh sweetness, we can’t have this.” He captures your lips with his own as he cups your face in his hands.

In spite of the bad memories being dredged up, the clown’s kiss manages to start distracting you. You moan into his lips and wrap your arms around his neck, pressing into him. Papa sighs in relief and keeps working on your back, forcing your body to bend to his will. He frowns as he works, remembering the tone of your voice, and wonders what you went through.

Slowly, you begin to melt into their embraces, starting to feel boneless again…but the bad memories won’t totally go away. Finally, you whisper into Johannes’s mouth, “Please.”

Johannes pulls back and looks down at you intently. “Please what?”

“Please…make me…forget… Shut my brain off.”

Johannes looks over your shoulder at Papa. “Sounds like it’s time for the restraints.”

Papa nods, turning you to face him. He cups your cheeks, thumbs caressing your cheekbones. “Things might get intense, my dear, especially if you’re using this to forget. What do you want for a safeword? The last thing we want is to actually hurt you, dear one.”

You’re caught in his two-toned stare, nearly mesmerized. “Popsicle,” you say, the first word that jumps in your head, and you laugh at yourself. What a dumb word…but that was the nature of safewords, after all.

Papa laughs with you, but it’s a fond, happy one instead of mocking. “Popsicle it is. Do not forget it, okay?” And before you could even answer he’s cuffing you into the restraints and tossing Johannes the soap bottle. “The rest of our toy needs to be cleaned. Make sure to be thorough.” And, as if you weren’t there anymore, Papa starts washing his own hair.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papa and Johannes do as you ask ... and help you forget ....

In spite of asking for this, you gulp as you turn your attention to Johannes. You watch as he rinses his hair, taking his time, also behaving as though you aren’t there. He grabs the washcloth Papa abandoned a few minutes ago and soaps it up, finally looking at you, but as if you are really just some inanimate object to be studied. It is annoying...but oddly arousing ...

Papa watches out of the corner of his eye as a muscle twitches in your jaw, but you say and do nothing. He smirks faintly as he rinses the suds from his hair and continues to watch.

Johannes soon begins to scrub you down, carefully, making sure not to miss an inch, his movements quick, efficient, almost rough. You hiss when he passes over some of the bruises and marks from last night, but he ignores your reactions. Finally, he meets Papa’s gaze. “What do you think? Toy clean enough for you?”

Papa comes over, inspecting over your skin for signs of dirt. He squats down and opens your lower lips, looking over your cunt. To your horror, he leans in and inhales deeply, making you turn nearly purple. You try to pull away, but he lays a swat onto your thigh, and you still. He stands back up and turns to Johannes. “A little more on her cunt. We used it quite a bit last night after all.”

“True.” The clown re-lathers the cloth and sets to his task, this time getting on his knees and spreading your lips wide before roughly cleaning your folds. A few tears slide down your cheeks but you fight to stay calm. You asked for this...you need this. You want them to make you forget.

Papa watches impassively, though all of him right now wants to reach up and wipe your tears away. But this is what you asked for, and with who he and Johannes are, that question is not to be asked lightly. His erection twitches as he watches suds fly from your pussy, and his eyes darken.

Johannes spreads your lips open one more time, wipes again, and inhales. “That should do it, Papa.” He licks his lips as he examines your pussy, then he stands and pushes his sopping wet hair back from his face. “If you don’t like it, you’re gonna need to clean it then.”

Papa snorts. “Yes sir.” He pulls the shower head down and turns the setting to a solid stream, then turns it onto your pussy. You cry out as the water hits your clit hard, and you try to close your legs to prevent it.

“Ah-ah-ah, none of that,” Johannes scolds as he roughly spreads your legs apart. “Don’t move,” he commands as he pulls your lips apart, allowing Papa to reach everywhere with the water.

He rinses you thoroughly, ignoring your whimpers and cries as the water batters your sensitive folds. Finally, he pulls the shower head away, handing it to Johannes and leaning down, swiping over your folds once with his tongue. “Perfect,” he says, stepping back. “So, what should we do first?”

Your hips buck with Papa’s swipe, and you wish for more. But they merely stand there together, considering you, and you can feel the blush rising hard all over you. You’ve never felt more naked and vulnerable. Finally Johannes says, “Seems to me we need to start with a spanking. Her smart mouth alone requires it. But she’s belittled herself more than once, she tried to run twice last night...” He pauses, and then says, “And let’s not forget she slammed the bathroom door in my face.”

“All very good points, my friend. Let’s get her adjusted then.” Papa reaches up and undoes the cuffs, and you drop lightly onto your toes. Before you can even think of fleeing, however, Papa grabs your hands and turns you around, cuffing you back in, this time so you are facing the wall.

Johannes watches, growling his approval. “God damn, the line of her back is fucking amazing. I just want to...” Another growl. Then he looks at Papa. “Given your...unusual shower attachments...” he nods at your restraints, “can I assume you have another overstuffed drawer in here?”

Papa hums in amusement, trailing a finger down the line of said back. “Perhaps not quite overstuffed, but yes, I do keep certain toys in here. How about this time you look yourself? Surprise us.” He motions to the door of the shower. “The drawer is to the right of the sink.” You, meanwhile, pale as you stare at the wall. Papa is seriously letting Johannes have his pick of a sex toy drawer?! You are a goner.

You hear the shower door open and close...a pause and then, “Not quite overstuffed, my ass!” Papa chuckles softly as his finger makes lazy patterns up and down your back.  
You gulp slightly, trembling under Papa’s touch, and to your surprise he murmurs, “You have the safe word, ghuleh. There’s no need to be scared.” You blink, then relax, realizing he’s right. No matter what Johannes brings back to the shower, you still have the power to end it.

You take a deep breath and settle your shoulders, feeling calmer...and then the shower door opens and your stomach is tied in knots. But you take another deep breath and remind yourself... ‘I need this to forget...just for a little while…’ 

Johannes is laughing. “I have never seen so many toys in the possession of one person. You have issues, man.” He tosses a small flat leather paddle at Papa and shows him a flogger with dozens of wide leather strips. “One for each of us, seemed fair.”

You visibly tremble, and Papa smirks. “Johannes, inside of two days you are going to be thanking me for having so many. Imagine, if you will, our new pet cuffed to the bed, a plug in her ass and two dildos stretching her pussy wide, with a vibrator on her clit that one of us can control remotely. Tell me you do not like that mental image.” You certainly do, and you let out a whine and squirm in the cuffs.

Johannes’s groan is loud and long. “I didn’t say they were bad issues, did I? Christ, another thing to add to the list of shit we need to do to our pet.” He moves close to you and drags the leather strips over your back and down to your ass, and you inhale sharply. “Already? What are you going to do when we actually start the spanking, sweetness?”

In spite of your situation, your mouth moves before your brain can keep up. “Oh, you’re talking to me like I exist now? Thank you so much.” 

Papa raises an eyebrow and shares a look with Johannes before bringing down his paddle on the back of your thigh with a loud crack. You cry out, muscles shuddering at the pain, but it feels so good at the same time. “Such a mouth on her...”

“Truly, it’s astounding.” Johannes trails his flogger over the spot Papa smacked, admiring the instant red mark. “Nice work there. I think she needs several more of those right on those lovely cheeks.”

Papa enjoys the way your thigh muscles tremble as Johannes touches it. “Thank you, my friend. And I think you’re right. Would you like the honor this time?”

“Indeed I would. Here...” The two men switch implements, and Johannes tosses the paddle in the air and catches it. “How about five from me and five from you? And our toy can count them out.” Another little toss and then _thwack_ , right on your left cheek. Your cry is loud, but wordless. Johannes looks at Papa. “And our toy can count them out,” he says, a little louder.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I forgot!” you say with a tiny wail in your voice. Another solid thwack, and you wail out, “Two!” and Johannes tsks. 

“Oh no, that’s not how this works. Back to the beginning.” 

“But then that’s more—” 

Johannes grabs your ass right where he smacked it and your words are cut off with a hiss. “Keep talking, and it will be even more.” You nod. “Again.” 

Another thwack, this time on your right cheek. “One!” you gasp. Johannes hums his approval.

“That’s the way, pet. Keep it going.” Papa’s voice is dark as he watches the clown work. He loves the way your skin is turning red. Suddenly, as Johannes rears back for another smack, Papa slips the handle of the flogger inside you.

The thwack of the paddle sounds and your “Two!” is a moan that turns into a wail. You jerk in the cuffs and try to grind on the flogger handle in your cunt.

Papa smirks at Johannes as he keeps it still inside you. “I think she likes it.” He gives it a slight twist, laughing at your cry.

“I think I do too.” The clown laughs as well as he lands the next thwack. But there is no “three” from you. “Tsk, tsk, back to the beginning.” 

“No, three, three!”

“Too late. Back to the beginning.”

Papa snickers as he gives the flogger a very slight pump into you. “What’s wrong, my delightful little pet? Can’t keep your concentration?”

“I can, I can, I swear I can,” you pant, tears trickling down your face. 

“Show us then.”

_Thwack_! “One!”

A grin almost as wide as Johannes’s spreads across his mouth as he continues pumping the handle in and out of you. And with each pump in, his thumb slides briefly along your clit.

_Thwack_! “Thr— Two!”

“Back to the beginning.”

_Thwack_! “One!” _Thwack_! “Two!”

You have no idea how long this goes on for, except that finally, finally, you call out “Five!” and you slump in relief in the restraints. Papa pulls the flogger handle out of you and holds it up to your mouth. “Clean it off, pet.” You blush, face as red as your ass, but open your mouth, letting your tongue slide along the solid handle, collecting your juices.  
Johannes leans down to closely examine your reddened ass, smoothing his hands over the marks he left, letting his fingers slide along your folds as well. “Beautiful.” A pause, and then, “Papa’s turn.”

Papa smirks, taking a half a step back. “Now, my pet, this type of spanking has a very different pain. I am being courteous by warning you, so say ‘thank you, Papa.’” 

You flush, pressing your forehead to the cool wall and swallowing hard, before forcing out, “Thank you, Papa.”

Johannes chuckles as he straightens and steps back as well. “I feel like I should have some popcorn or something,” he says quietly.

Papa smirks at Johannes, having heard that. “Perhaps once we are out of the shower, yes? Soggy popcorn does not sound good.” And almost as an afterthought his hand whips out, and the multi-headed whip strikes against your ass. You cry out and fire lights up your nerves, and every muscle in your body is trembling, but you remember to gasp out, “One!”

“Excellent, pet, you remembered,” Johannes praises as he moves to your side and slides the flat of the paddle down to cover your clit and slit...and begins to lightly tap you with the paddle.

Your pulse jumps with each tap of the paddle. Your toes curl against the floor as Papa suddenly hits you again, and you wail out the word _two_ as you shudder uncontrollably against the wall.

Johannes keeps up a steady rhythm of tapping as you count the third and fourth hits from Papa. Pain and pleasure are combining in a heady mix. The two men are murmuring praise and encouragement but you really aren’t registering their words so much as you are the tone and depth of their voices.

Papa watches you a moment, taking in your state, before rearing back and delivering the fifth strike hard across your right cheek. “Fiiiiiive!!!” you scream, breasts mashing into the wall as pain takes over your mind. “That’s our good girl...”

“Absolutely beautiful,” Johannes says quietly. For several minutes the two men simply gaze at you, while you sag in the cuffs, tears streaming down your cheeks. After a bit, Johannes shakes his head, feeling a bit like he’s coming out of a trance. “What would you like to do with her next?”

Papa hums a bit, coming out of a trance himself. “Well, I think first we should move her to the bed. Don’t want her to hurt her arms like that. I’ll release these if you want to catch her.”

Johannes nods, setting the paddle aside and turning off the water. “Get me a towel first.” They work together, already well on the way to becoming an efficient team. Papa releases the cuffs and Johannes grabs you as you drop and wraps you in the towel, already beginning to dry you off. “You took that like the goddess you are,” Johannes murmurs in your ear.

You swallow thickly, but manage a smile up to him as a last tear rolls down your cheek. “T-thank you...” You wince suddenly, the material of the soft towel feeling scratchy against the tender skin of your backside. 

Papa chuckles softly as he dries his hair off. “That is going to be tender for a while, yes. But don’t worry, my pet. You did so good that our reward is going to make you forget all about that pain...”

Papa’s words and Johannes’s movements with the towel roll over you, and you close your eyes as tremors continue to work their way through your body. Johannes pulls you close and kisses you gently, whispering softly, you suddenly realize, in Swedish.

You look up at him as he carries you out of the bathroom. The question is in your eyes, but you don’t say it out loud—you figure it might scare him off. Even in your...distracted state you can tell that what the clown feels for you is way out of the norm for him, and you don’t want to cause him any undue stress. 

Papa finishes drying off and comes out, combing his hair back. He tosses Johannes a brush and says with a smirk, “I thought you might like to take care of hers, since you seem to enjoy her hair so much.”

Johannes manages to set you down on the bed and catch the brush with a grin and a flourish. “I will be happy to,” he says, “as soon as I dry off.” And he moves back into the bathroom.

You can’t help but grin weakly at the flourish, and once Johannes’s back is turned you flop back on the bed. Your eyes close, and you try to get control back of your shaking muscles. The pain is already fading, though even Papa’s silk sheets are feeling a hint scratchy. The bed dips next to you, and fingers run slowly up your thigh. “You were a vision, hanging there with your skin red... I have a feeling that everything we do will just make you more beautiful...”

You exhale shakily at his touch. “I felt...almost like I was flying toward the end ... I was there but I wasn’t there.” You look over at him. “Does that make sense?”

“Of course. The feeling has been shared by many people in the sub position—I’ve felt it myself. That is one of the reasons that subs are subs—it helps to...reset the mind. I bet you feel lighter now, don’t you? Less weighed down by your worries.” You think about it, then nod in agreement. “It is important to not go too deep in the feeling though. If you are completely gone, you cannot say whether something hurts in a bad way.”

You nod again. “That makes sense. I...” You pause, and your blush rises up quick and high. “I didn’t realize I was a...a sub until recently. And I didn’t understand what it really meant. It... I wasn’t....” You sigh. “I’ve only had one top, and he wasn’t.... Well, I didn’t realize what he was doing wasn’t quite right... Now, with you and Johannes, you two are so....different. You’re not mean at all.”

Papa scowls. “Of course not. We want to scare you a little, but the fun kind of fear.” He pauses, a worried look on his face for the first time you ever remember. “You are...not truly afraid of us, are you? Because if you are, we are definitely not doing our job right.”

“Oh god no.” You struggle to sit up and put your hand on his arm. “No, not at all.” He raises one skeptical eyebrow. “Ok, maybe a little nervous...” 

“Ghuleh....” he warns.

“Okay, okay, a lot nervous.”

You feel the bed dip behind you. “Don’t lie, sweetness, I know I can be scary,” the clown says. 

You sigh. “Yes, you can. And you do frighten me a little.” You look at him over your shoulder and smile. “But it...it’s a good frightened. You don’t leave me feeling bad about myself... You leave me...better.”

“And this first top of yours...what did he do to you?” You look back into Papa’s eyes and see a deep anger simmering there. “Did he not make you feel good about yourself? Did he take advantage of your trust?” His fists clench at his sides, and you almost don’t want to answer honestly.

“Aaaahhhhh...ummm...” You look from Papa to Johannes, and the look on the clown’s face is even darker and more unnerving. “If I tell you, are you planning on killing him? Because you look like you might be plotting it.”

“Kill him?” Papa says innocently. “Of course not. But the clergy has other...ways...of dealing with people like him. Now, answer the question, ghuleh.”

You hesitate a little longer, and Johannes growls. “Not telling us isn’t a good idea, sweetness.” 

You heave a sigh. “He just... When he hit me or...bound me, it wasn’t for me, it was for him. Like, it wouldn’t have mattered what I wanted or needed, only if he wanted it. I didn’t feel... I didn’t feel good, like a goddess.” You smile at Johannes. “I just felt used.”

Papa’s eyes flash, and he is off the bed and to his desk in half a second. “Name and address, ghuleh.” 

“B-but Papa—”

“Name and address!” he barks, looking at you intensely. “This...boy has hurt our goddess. I will not let this stand, not without retribution. He made you feel less than human. We will return the favor.” His last words are a growl, and you would be lying if you said the sight didn’t turn you on just a tiny bit.

Johannes looks like he could cheerfully commit murder, but he puts a hand on your shoulder, then stands and kisses your forehead before moving over to Papa. “You need to dial it back, man.” Papa shoots him a murderous glare, and Johannes nods toward you. “You’re going to freak her out, you need to dial down.” He lowered his voice to a deadly growl. “We’ll deal with that waste of space, trust me. But don’t scare her.”

Papa looks to you sitting wide-eyed on the bed, and he visibly relaxes. “You are right. Thank you, my friend.” He looks to you and comes over, getting on his knees before you on the bed. Gently, he cups your cheeks, pressing a kiss to your forehead, your nose, and finally your mouth, murmuring apologies into your lips.

You return the kiss as Johannes kneels behind you, pressing his own kisses everywhere he can reach. You reach back with one hand to cup his head, while your other hand slides around the back of Papa’s neck. Your towel drops to the bed, and both men move closer, until the three of you are skin to skin.

In the back of your mind you wonder...you know how dangerous Johannes is ...but just how dangerous is Papa? But the way they feel against you, the way their lips caress your skin, the way their hands grip your hips...you know they will never hurt you. You are their goddess, after all. And so you moan their names into Papa’s mouth and press closer, wanting to sink into them until you forget your own name.

Johannes brings his hands around you to cup your breasts and gently roll your nipples as he sucks a hickey into your neck. His erection presses against you and you grind against him as your hands slide down Papa’s chest and stomach and wrap around his cock. “Can I have my reward now?” you ask breathlessly between kisses.

“You most certainly can, my goddess...” After one last searing kiss to your lips, he slips down your body. His tongue traces patterns into your skin, stopping briefly at the nipples in Johannes’s fingers, sucking and licking them playfully, ignoring the fact that he is getting the other man’s fingers as well as your hardened nipples. Then he is moving again, spreading your legs as his tongue dips into your navel. All the while, his eyes never leave yours, staring into your eyes as if he can see your soul, that two-toned gaze as intense as ever.

Finally Papa breaks the hold on your gaze only to lie down on his back between your legs...you hold your breath as he settles in, helping you spread your legs farther apart, humming as your pussy gets closer to his face, his lips. Johannes whispers, “Lean back into me, sweetness, open up for him.” And as you do, the clown leans over, maneuvering around your shoulder to lick one of your nipples just as Papa flicks his tongue against your clit.

Your hips buck at the same time your back arches into Johannes. A wordless cry falls from your lips as your fingers delve into Papa’s hair. Then you curse as you feel a finger at your entrance, spreading your slick and pressing teasingly against the sensitive ring of muscle. Your body and mind are on fire, and you dig the fingernails of your free hand into Johannes’s thigh to try to anchor yourself to earth.

“Go ahead, sweetness, use me while you ride his face,” Johannes groans. He tweaks both your nipples as Papa begins to curl his tongue around your clit. You gasp as your hips move back and forth over Papa’s face, forcing you to grind against Johannes’s cock.

Papa pulls away for a brief instant to growl, “Johannes. Fuck her while I eat her clit.” The other man doesn’t need to be told twice, and you cry out as Johannes’s thick cock enters you and stretches you wide at the same time Papa sucks your clit.

Johannes pumps in and out of you, slowly, making you feel each slide against your inner walls, and grinding against you every time he bottoms out as Papa sucks and licks your clit.

You cry out their names, not sure whether to buck into Papa’s face or back into Johannes’s cock. Your pulse jumps with each lick on your clit, and your fingernails dig all the harder into the man’s thighs.

Johannes growls in your ear. “Mmmm, that’s it, sweetness, I can take the pain.” He thrusts into you again and says, “Look at Papa’s cock—it needs your mouth.” He leaves one hand squeezing your breast while he places his other hand on your back and helps you slowly bend over until you are able to take Papa’s cock head into your mouth.

Papa groans against your clit as his hips move against your face. His taste and smell are intoxicating. You are losing yourself again, floating between the two men in a cloud of bliss. And when your orgasm hits it feels more like an ocean wave than anything else: dragging you gently under into a sea of pleasure you would happily drown in.

You come into Papa’s mouth, around Johannes’s dick, your whole body writhing between them. You have no idea where you stop and they begin. You aren’t sure whether your orgasm is two or three separate orgasms or just one that goes on and on... Papa’s lips and tongue continue working your clit, Johannes fucks into you, his words getting filthier with each thrust, and you swirl your tongue around Papa’s cock as you take as much of it in your mouth as you can, loving the feel of him.

Papa growls into your clit, not letting up one bit. His hips pump into your mouth, cock twitching at the feel of your tongue sliding against his hard length. He sucks your clit, tongue flicking against it at the same time, wanting desperately to give you another high before the first one wears off.

Johannes pinches your nipple and slides his other hand along your back, down to your ass to caress it, then back up, finally fisting it in your hair. His grip tightens and his pace quickens, his thrusts faster and faster, his skin slapping wetly against you as your slick increases and soaks his cock and Papa’s face.

You can feel your body falling again, the coil in your belly winding tighter and tighter, you feel like you are about to break apart. Johannes bottoms out again, hitting that spot inside you like a punch, and Papa flicks your clit once more, and you shatter, squirting out around Johannes’s cock and writhing so hard that the clown is hard-pressed to keep a hold of you. Papa roars into your cunt as he is sprayed with your cum, and he gives one last thrust into your mouth before he too is coming, coating your throat with his seed.

Johannes’s howl joins with Papa’s and his hips jerk uncontrollably as he finally shoots his cum into you, spurt after spurt. His grip on you is tighter than ever as his release makes him convulse, and all you can do is just take all the cum into your mouth and cunt.

Pulling his hips away so you can breathe, Papa moves out from under you, his face glistening as your cum drips down his jaws. His cock twitches one last time, sending a small spurt of seed onto his stomach, before starting to soften. He looks over to you, still trapped in the clown’s embrace, and his look is that of a man who’s seen an oasis in the desert. “My precious ghuleh...you are incredible...”

“You two...are damned amazing...yourselves...” you gasp. Johannes loosens his grip on you and you collapse. His groan turns into a gruff shout as his cock slips out of you, and then he falls in a heap beside you. “Fucking hell” is all he can say.

For a moment, all is silent, the only sounds in the room are the harsh breathing of the three of you. And then, breaking the peace that was settling over you, your stomach growls, and you clap a hand over it in embarrassment. Papa blinks at you, then laughs softly. “We uh...sort of forgot breakfast, didn’t we?”

You flush beet red and Johannes snorts. “Who can think about breakfast when faced with this delicious sweetness right when you wake up?” and he strokes his hand down the line of your back with a sigh.

Papa smiles. “That is very true. Well, let us get cleaned up and head down to the dining hall. We need to keep up our pet’s strength, after all.” He smirks to you and heads into the bathroom, coming back with a wet cloth for each of you.

You take one of the wet cloths with a shy grateful smile and clean yourself up while eyeing the room. There are the pants Papa gave you the other night, and the shirt he’d given you...well, that’s a tattered rag now after Johannes’s impatient attention last night. You pick up your borrowed clothes and sigh. “I … I am going to need some clothes...”

Papa chuckles and goes to his dresser. “We’ll go shopping soon. You can wear this for now.” He hands you another of his white, button-up shirts as he pulls out clothes for himself. “Johannes. Did you actually bring clothes with you, or is your court uniform all you have?”

The clown shoots Papa the finger. “It’s all I have. I didn’t exactly plan to stay beyond about a half an hour.” He stands and stretches, very obviously not looking at you. You don’t say anything as you slide your arms into Papa’s shirt.

Papa’s lip curls,and he also says nothing, but he does flash you a faint smile as you button up the shirt and sigh at how nice it feels against your skin.

Dressed, Johannes looks at himself and shrugs, then watches you slide Papa’s slacks on. “C’mere now,” he says gruffly. “I still need to comb your hair out.” He grabs the brush and crooks his finger at you. “Can’t have you looking messy when we go eat...people will talk.”

You blush faintly, but come over, shaking your head. “I’m assuming we’re all going down there together. People are going to talk regardless.” But you turn obediently for him, bracing yourself for him to be rough with the snarls. 

Papa chuckles. “Indeed, none of us have been very...subtle. You, Johannes, broke into the building. And you, my ghuleh, were brought here unconscious. And none of us were quiet last night or this morning.”

“Hey, no one knew I was in here til you walked in, so I’d say I was damn subtle.” Johannes carefully works through your tangles and snarls, surprising you with his deft movements and gentle tugs. “Almost done, sweetness, look at that. Beautiful.” 

“I didn’t think you’d be that ... good at dealing with hair,” you say quietly, looking back at him. 

“Well, I’m not into self-torture, am I?” He shakes his long mane at you, making you laugh.

Papa shakes his head as he finishes dressing. “Are you both ready? We must recharge our pet.” He smirks to you and offers you his arm, the pure image of a gentleman so at odds with the man in bed earlier.

The clown runs the brush through his own hair quickly, then gestures at Papa to go ahead. When Papa shoots him a questioning look, the clown simply says, “I stay in the back,” with a dark expression that leaves you feeling a little unnerved...and very turned on.

Papa shrugs. “As you wish.” He smiles down to you and opens the door, walking out of the room and down the hall.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you begin to learn who (and what) your lovers really are....

The dark church is...beautiful. Decorated with a lot of black and gold, lit with candles and warm overhead lights, it is at once foreboding and welcoming, which is fitting considering who its Papa is. Various Sisters and Brothers of Sin walk down the halls, each one nodding their head politely to Papa, who nods back cheerfully. He is truly in his element here.

You try to look everywhere at once, and still feel like you need to hide, as though you don’t belong in the middle of all this grandeur. At one point you are pretty sure you catch a glimpse of a ghoul, and you flinch. You feel Johannes at your back immediately, and though he says nothing, you know that he is alert and will let nothing happen to either you or Papa.

Papa glances back at the clown and gives him a grateful nod. He didn’t think anything bad would happen in his church, but then again Johannes’s countrymen are shapeshifters as well...perhaps he should have sentries posted on the ground to raise an alarm for giant birds.

As you get closer to the dining hall, the numbers of people increase, and so do your nerves. You slow down, almost totally stopping, and both men look at you questioningly. “I...I don’t think I can do this...it’s too much...too many people. I’m not used to all this...”

Papa looks at Johannes, but then there’s a tap on his shoulder and a ghoul is there. He nods to you...and you are suddenly, inexplicably afraid. Papa looks back down to you. “Well, I must put in an appearance. If you are truly too uncomfortable, my dear, you may go back to my rooms...” He trails off a bit as you’ve already turned and fled. Papa sighs, then turns to Johannes. “If you would, get her a plate of food and follow her back? She shouldn’t be alone.”

Johannes looks panicked. “Can... Can someone bring food to us?” He turns to follow your progress. “I don’t like her being anywhere alone.” He glances at Papa quickly then back to find you. “Honestly, it bugs me to leave you unguarded too.”

“Are you worried about me? I’m flattered,” Papa teases, a hand pressed to his chest. Then he sobers. “You do not truly think me defenseless, do you? Every Papa is strong enough to defend himself against nearly anything. I will be fine.” He sighs, looking around. “I’ll send a sister to my room with food. Go, follow her then.”

“I know you can... I just... Shit. I don’t see her. Send food up.” And Johannes spins on his heel and strides off. Brothers and Sisters move out of his way as fast as they can. Outwardly he looks controlled, focused, ready for anything. On the inside his heart is beating triple time. You are out of his sight and he’s terrified. Finally, after what seems like an hour but what he knows is only a few seconds, he spots you fighting your way through a knot of people and he blows out a relieved breath. He quickens his pace and comes up behind you. “Sweetness, you should wait for me.”

You jump as you hear his voice behind you, and you turn to look at him. Though he is keeping calm, you can see the fear hidden deep in his eyes, and you smile to him reassuringly, reaching out and taking his hand. “I’m all right, Johannes. Just...after what happened I’m not quite ready to be around that many people... Are...are you all right?” You look up at him, an open book for him to read, and you look...worried for him. Not yourself, which is a little laughable, considering he originally came here to kill you.

“I’m fine. Just...just don’t... I can’t take care of you if I can’t see you, so just don’t rush off like that.” He almost asks about the fear in your own eyes, not believing that you’re asking after his mental state after you practically sprinted from that ghoul. Instead, he clears his throat. “Papa is sending someone up with breakfast so come on.”

You bite down on a grin at his words and nod to him. You let him pull you back to Papa’s rooms without any fuss, mentally giddy over how adorable Johannes really is inside. Deep, deep down inside, but it’s there.

\--

Papa watches Johannes take off after you, fighting off a twinge of longing, a desire to head after you...and maybe Johannes as well?...and then he shakes his head and turns to Aether.

"Did I do something wrong? I didn't mean to scare her...or him." Aether casts a quick glance after you and Johannes.

Papa pats Aether on the shoulder. "I doubt you did anything wrong, my friend. It may be her suppressed memories that make her wary of you. So, what is it you need?"

"Oh, well, I did that research you wanted me to. I found out...well, not much." Aether sighs. "We just don't have much resources on them at all."

Papa frowns. "Did you find out anything? Because something very odd happened yesterday," and he explains to Aether your Clown-like behavior and appearance in the shower.

Aether stares off into space. "Hmmm. Fascinating." He fixes his gaze back to Papa. "What little I found on the matter makes it clear that conduits exchange and transfer energy. It sounds like she channeled Johannes's clown energy and it ... manifested?" The ghoul shrugs. "If she doesn't know what she is, maybe she’s channeling randomly ..."

Papa blinks. Randomly… "That sounds like it could be extremely dangerous. What if she channels my demon energy?" He frowns, crossing his arms. "I do not want her...caged, or anything of the sort. But I must also think of the safety of those in the church. There are several very highly powered demons here..."

Aether sighs. "Well, it sounds to me as though she was especially panicked... emotional, and her nature just...did what it does. Perhaps if we ghouls are able to monitor the balance, we can prevent her from randomly channeling anyone."

Papa nods. "Yes, that does sound like a good idea...but if she's going to be terrified of you all like this, I don't know how we'll be able to get you all into my rooms." He sighs softly and crosses his arms. "I had hoped that you all would get along well...perhaps if we just introduced you one or two at a time?"

"It's worth trying. I'll tell the others." Aether clears his throat then gives Papa a knowing look. "The other thing I discovered is that conduits are very sexual beings and tend to manipulate energy through sex. It's probably why you and Johannes experienced such strong reactions to her." He winks. "It may explain some of the...ah...sounds?...that were echoing through the third floor hallway earlier?"

Papa smirks faintly. "Yes, she is...well, her appetite..." He shakes his head. "But that still doesn't explain why Johannes and I now...feel as we do."

Aether frowns. "And how is that?"

Papa looks around them, then leans in and whispers in Aether's ear, "We love her. We refuse to see anything bad happen to her, we'd rather die ourselves."  
"Oh yes, you did mention that the other night," Aether says, frowning. "I didn't find anything about that specifically. I can keep researching, but information on conduits is sparse. They're just so rare..."

"Do what you can. You've done well so far." He claps Aether on the shoulder. "Thank you, my friend. I'll let you know about her meeting the ghouls soon."

"Of course. And I will--"

"EMERITUS. We need to talk. NOW."

Papa sighs and Aether claps him on the back. "Rather you than me."

"Thank you so much." He takes a step, then looks back at Aether. “Send someone up to my rooms with breakfast for both of them, will you?” Then Papa sets his shoulders and strides toward Imperator.

\--

Meanwhile, you are back in Papa’s rooms, sitting on the unmade bed and watching Johannes pace about. He goes to the door when the knock sounds, and lets in two sisters of sin carrying trays of food. After they set the trays up and leave, Johannes continues to pace, and you’re starting to feel anxious.

You stand, coming over to him even as your stomach rumbles again. You wind your arms through his and kiss him softly, gently, making it reassuring rather than sexy. “Johannes, please, tell me what’s wrong.”

He returns your kiss, then lays his head on the top of yours. “You are a dangerous woman, sweetness.” 

You laugh, you can’t help it. “Yes, so dangerous, I’m sure.” 

“You are. You’re under my skin. No one’s ever been there before. I ... I don’t know what to do with that.”

You frown, cupping his cheeks softly, making him look into your eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you. I have no plans on hurting you, Johannes. I know this must be new and scary for you, but you have my word: I just want you to be happy. Just like I want Papa to be happy. I’ve...never dreamed of having a relationship like this. It’s a little scary for me too. But...as long as we’re together we’ll be okay.”

He looks down at you, serious expression clouding his features. “It’s not just that, sweetness. I need to keep you safe; I can’t let anything happen to you. The thought that anything could...” He shudders, envelops you in his arms.

You sink into his embrace, fingers stroking his hair soothingly. “My love, the worst that will happen is you two will bruise me in bed. We are in Papa’s personal quarters. Unless you know something you aren’t telling me, then we are all safe.”

He is silent for a beat. Then he says, “I’m your love?” quietly, as if he can scarcely believe he’s heard the words.

You smile, and it’s radiant. “You are. You and Papa both. I’ve never...no one’s ever made me feel like you two have. Beautiful and wanted...” Your smile turns a little watery. “No one’s ever wanted to make me come like this...no one’s ever cared about my stress level or if...or if I’m safe from harm...so yes. I love you, Johannes. And I want to make you feel the way that you make me feel. Safe, and loved, and worshipped...”

“Don’t cry, sweetness.” He cups your face, wipes your tears away with his thumbs, ignoring the fact that there’s a tear or two swimming in his eyes as well. “I’ll be your love...as long as you want me. And you’ll be my love forever.”

You beam up at him, leaning up and kissing him deeply. You want to spend the rest of the day just kissing him and touching his hair and reassuring him that this is okay. But your stomach grumbles even louder than before, and you pull away just slightly from his lips with a small grin. “Guess it’s time to eat.”

He chuckles. “Yes, past time. Papa will have my ass in a sling if he comes up here and sees you have yet to eat.”

“He’s um...just as protective as you are, I think.” You take one of the trays and go over to the couch in front of the fireplace. You settle down, tray over your lap, and dig in hungrily.

“Yes, just as. If not more so.” He paces a little longer, but finally grabs the other tray and joins you on the couch, and your anxiety starts to ease off.

You eat in silence for a few minutes, before, in a small voice, you ask, “Were you really going to kill me?” You don’t look at him, but instead at the still-crackling fire.

“Yes.” 

You inhale sharply at the abrupt, straightforward answer and glance at him. He isn’t looking at you...he isn’t looking at anything, just staring into space, a muscle ticcing in his jaw. You say nothing. 

“The king commanded it, and I serve the king. That’s been my life, for as long as I can remember.”

A thousand questions flit through your mind, and you swallow hard as you nervously shred a piece of toast. “...But you didn’t. Kill me, I mean. Won’t...won’t your king be mad?”

“I... Yes. He will be.” He sighs and finally looks at you. “Things work...differently in Avatar Country. No one disobeys the king because no one thinks to do so. I can’t think of a single instance in recent memory where any citizen has. It’s just ... It doesn’t happen. So yes, he will be unhappy, but I...don’t know what he’ll do...exactly.”

You bite your lip, reaching over and putting a hand over his. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Johannes...I’m worried...and what if...what if he calls you back? Will...will you go?” Your eyes well with tears, not wanting to lose half your heart.

“No one has ever worried about me before.” For a minute he looks like he might cry, but then the look is gone, replaced by his wild, huge grin, although it seems a little forced. “Everything will be fine. And you can’t get rid of me that easily. I told Papa, and now I’m telling you. I’m staying, and that’s all.”

You look at him in surprise, and then you set the tray aside and boldly straddle his lap. You cup his cheeks, looking deep into his eyes. “Johannes. Part of relationships means being there to support each other through hard times. You don’t have to force yourself to be strong, and you won’t look weak to me if you let yourself feel emotion. Don’t...don’t hide it, not from me.”

His grin fades and he says nothing, just stares into your eyes, so intent you feel as though his soul is merging with yours. His hands slide up your back, up your neck and into your hair, covering and cupping the entire back of your head. Slowly, so very slowly, he pulls you toward him, gaze never moving from you. Your lips are a hairsbreadth apart when he pauses, and he holds you there, so close, and your gazes are fused together, and you simply can’t breathe. “Johannes,” you whisper. He cocks his head just the tiniest, tiniest bit to one side...and then you are sinking into his kiss.

His kiss is...soft at first, so soft, as if he’s afraid of breaking you. But quickly it grows desperate. You groan into his lips, fingers delving into his own hair, as if to anchor him to you. One arm wraps around your waist, pulling you closer, closer...you are drowning in him, and you have a feeling he is drowning in you too.

He stands, and you automatically wrap your legs around his hips as he moves to the bed, laying you down and moving over you without breaking the kiss.

You never want the kiss to end. You tug on his shirt, hands going to the buttons quickly. You didn’t want him to ruin the only clothes he has here. You get it unbuttoned and push it eagerly down his arms, fingers finally able to take the time to map his muscles. And he was muscular, but in a very wiry, slender way.

He somehow manages to shrug the shirt off and continue kissing you. “Don’t stop touching me,” he mutters into your mouth. “Don’t ever stop touching me.”

“I won’t,” you breathe into his mouth. Your fingers slide over his chest, his face, everywhere you can reach, but when you come to his back you pause. You remember what happened in the shower, and right now you don’t want to make him upset again. But...your fingertips graze the bottom-most scar, and he feels the question in your touch.

You gasp as you feel yourself under him again, and the fathomless pain as he meets your eyes makes your tears rush down your face. “I...I don’t want to talk about it. Not now.” And his mouth devours yours again.

He helps you sit up for a moment, grabs the bottom of your shirt and breaks the kiss just long enough to pull the shirt over your head and off, tossing it to the floor as he slams his lips back on yours and uses his body to push you back onto the bed. You cry out into his mouth—everywhere his skin touches yours burns.

You dig your fingers into the scarred flesh of his back, hanging on for dear life as he kisses you breathless. He is everywhere, his scent making you dizzy with need. His hair forms a curtain around you both, blocking everything else from sight as your tongues battle for dominance. You don’t even notice Papa come back into the room. He looks at the situation on the bed and figures that there is more going on there than just lust. He knows the clown needs to work some things out, and so he doesn’t want to interrupt. Quietly he walks over to his desk—he has paperwork to do anyway, or Sister Imperator will have his hide.

“I can’t... I have to... I can’t wait...” Johannes groans into your mouth, reaching for the fastenings on your pants. 

“Then don’t...just take me,” you gasp as you undo his pants and shove them down just far enough to release his cock. You help him slide one leg out of your pants and that’s all the longer he can wait. He slams into you with a guttural shout, and your answering cry rings out through the room. There’s no room for slow or easy or sweet ... It’s just fast, hard, rough. It’s what he needs...and you give him everything.

He moves almost inhumanly fast in you, and the tiny part of your brain not currently on fire is glad for all the preparation you’ve had since last night; otherwise, this would probably hurt. As it is, you know that your hips are going to be bruised from his own, but you hardly care right now. He needs you, he actually needs you, and you aren’t going to let him down. Your nails leave red lines down his back, you pull his hair, you scream his name—anything to give him what he needs. The scratching of Papa’s pen goes totally unnoticed by both of you, and he is able to easily tune you both out, though he really does want to join in. He glances over at the trays of food, frowning when he sees yours not even half done, and it looks like Johannes only picked at his. He’d have to have a talk with you both once you were done.

Johannes slides one hand between you to rub his thumb against your clit. “Come. Fucking come,” he growls. And somehow, his command works, and your orgasm breaks and so does his. His roar is inhuman, unlike anything you’ve heard, and you realize he’s crying. And so are you. His last thrust slams against you and he drops heavily on you, face buried in your neck, his tears soaking your skin. And you hold him tightly to you and cry with him.

Your legs wrap around his waist to hold him there, your arms wrap gently around his head, letting him cry into your neck for however long he needs. Your own tears soak into his hair, your eyes closed at the sound of his quiet sobs as he holds on to you like a lifeline. You can feel him shaking. You think, no, you know, that this is the first real expression of his feelings he’s had in a very long time. 

Papa doesn’t turn around in his chair. He knows that if he makes his presence known, the clown could clam up again, and that’s not what he needs. So he keeps working, but the whole time he has a soft smile on his face. He might give the younger man a hard time, but he realizes he likes Johannes, really likes him, even with the problems he brings. 

Johannes’s sobs subside, and his grip on you loosens a bit. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he murmurs in your ear. 

“No, of course not.” You stroke his hair. “How do you feel?” 

He doesn’t answer right away. “Like I just fucked myself stupid.” He snorts. 

You poke him in his side. “Goof. Be serious.” 

“I was.” He props himself up, looks down at you and smiles...a real smile, only slightly feral. “I’m ok, sweetness. I really am.” And he kisses you, gently.

Papa watches for a moment, then says, saccharine sweetness in his tone, “Oh good, I’m glad. Can you explain, then, why you barely ate, and you did not make sure she finished her own food?” 

You jump, not having realized he’d returned, and you blush sheepishly. “We um...had an important talk.” 

“A talk. Yes, I could see that.” Your blush deepens.

Johannes’s forehead touches yours in a defeated little droop. “Shit,” he whispers. You can feel him gathering himself, and then he lifts his head up, tossing his hair back, and shoots Papa a wicked stare. “We got sidetracked. And I wasn’t aware you were the boss of me.”

Papa snorts, turning in his chair and steepling his fingers, giving Johannes his own wicked, and two-toned, stare. “I am not your boss. But I would have thought you’d know how to take care of that which you seem to care about. Making sure she eats and stays hydrated after losing so much fluid...” and for a brief instant his gaze snaps to your eyes, and his are dark, hungry, and leave you unable to breathe until he looks back at Johannes, “...is important.”

“Papa, it was my fault, I—” 

“Don’t.” The clown cuts your words off. “Don’t defend me, don’t take the blame.” He keeps his eyes on Papa. “I know what’s important. We have a list of important a mile long to take care of. She had questions that were important. I answered them. It got us sidetracked from the other fifty thousand important things on the fucking list. And now we can get back to food. Deal with it.”

Papa bares his teeth, but it can’t be called a smile. “One would think that keeping our love safe, healthy, and happy would be at the top of said fifty thousand important things on the fucking list. I have just spent an hour assuring Sister Imperator that you and she will not cause trouble here beyond the screaming. And an hour with Sister Imperator is fifty-nine minutes more than patience can take, so do not test me right now, boy.”

Johannes goes deadly still and all trace of your lover is gone...only the king’s assassin remains. He stands up, and even half naked, he looks lethal. “I would think twice about who you call ‘boy’ if I were you. Do not ever call into question my devotion to this woman and what she needs, ever again, or you and I will have more than words.” Red diamonds appear around his eyes, and his sudden, dangerous smile seems to extend as black makeup covers his lips. 

Papa stands, and darkness seems to coalesce around his head like a nimbus. “If you think to intimidate me, you are quite mistaken. Do you think I have no training at all? I have killed greater than you—” 

“All right, that’s fucking enough!” They both look at you as if you’ve grown extra heads as you get off the bed, uncaring that your pants were still on one leg. “We are all in this together, so there’s no need for the pissing contest. You both seem to forget constantly that I’m an adult woman, and can make my own choices. When it comes to the shit that you guys deal with, yes, I’ll need your protection. But when to eat and drink? When to bathe? Those are things that I can handle my own fucking self. I don’t need Johannes looking over my shoulder at my plate like I’m a child! And I won’t...” You pause, swallowing around the sudden lump in your throat. “I won’t have my loves killing each other.” And you turn and stomp into the bathroom. 

Papa looks at Johannes and completely deflates, scratching the back of his head. “...She’s right. I...I am sorry, Johannes.”

It takes a bit longer, but soon the assassin drops away, makeup fading, leaving only a sheepish Johannes standing there. He sighs. “Yeah... Yeah. I’m sorry too. I...yeah.” He closes his eyes. “Fuck.” Another sigh. “What the fuck is happening to us.” Then he opens his eyes, smirking at Papa. “I may be the king’s assassin, and you may be the dark pope, but holy fuck, that woman could kill the both of us without even breaking a goddamn sweat.”

“She really could.” Papa laughs, and he steps forward and holds out his hand. “We should not fight. We both have strong personalities, but we should try our best to combine them, not let them break us apart. Especially in front of her. Truce?”

Johannes grips Papa’s hand. “Truce.” He looks at the bathroom and back at Papa. “You realize the amount of groveling we’re going to have to do far outweighs our ability to actually grovel, right?”

The older man sighs, rubbing his face. “Yes, you are right. Thankfully, the woman in there is the only person on this planet I will grovel for. So I suppose we should use the time to practice, eh?” And with that he makes his way to the bathroom door, knocking softly. “Dear ghuleh, will you come out please?” 

“That depends. Are you done measuring dicks? Is Johannes still alive?”

Johannes moves to the door as well, leaning back against the wall next to the door and looking up at the ceiling. “We may never be done with the dick measuring, sweetness, but I’m still alive, and we kissed and made up.” 

Papa smirks at the clown, raising his brow. “We did, did we?” And he winks. 

Johannes snorts. “If I kissed you, pope, you’d remember it. It was just a handshake, sweetness. So come out, please?”

There is a pause, and then the door opens and you step out, looking suspicious. “You were about ready to kill each other. What changed so fast?” 

Papa takes one of your hands and kisses your knuckles softly. “We remembered that we are on the same side here, and that we both care for you deeply. And that means we shouldn’t fight in front of you.”

You look at Johannes, who simply nods in agreement. “I don’t know,” you say skeptically. “Seems to me that agreeing not to fight in front of me isn’t enough ... You shouldn’t be fighting at all.”

Papa winces, then sighs. “You are right. But at this point you should know how strong our personalities are. I...cannot guarantee that we won’t butt heads from time to time.” He looks at the other man, and solemnly says, “But I will swear that, unless you do something unforgivable, I will never strike you.”

Johannes inclines his head and touches his chest with his right fist in a type of salute. “In the name of my…” His face twists a little in a pained expression. “In the name of my king, you have my solemn word that I won’t strike you, unless your actions are unforgivable.” He looks at you out of the side of his eye.

You relax just a hair, and a faint smile curls your lips. “Well, I suppose I can accept that. Thank you, both.” You look down. “And I’m sorry too.” 

Papa bursts out laughing. “What could you possibly apologize for?” 

“W-Well, I mean, I keep being the center of trouble...unintentionally, but I’m there...”

Johannes chuckles. “I think we’re all swirling around that particular drain, but if it makes you feel better to apologize, then ok.” He swoops in, kisses your temple, then drops a quick kiss on your lips. “Let’s try to eat, so Papa doesn’t lose his damn mind.” He snickers as he shoots a positively sassy look at Papa.

You chuckle at Papa’s indignant sniff, and you nod. “The food’s going to be cold, but all right.” 

“Well, if you’d eaten sooner...” Papa mutters with a smirk of his own at Johannes.

“At least it’s still edible,” Johannes says, giving Papa another mischievous glance. “We could have knocked the hell out of those trays and sent everything flying everywhere, and really gotten in trouble...” 

You laugh outright. “Stop it, Johannes, you’re so bad!”

Papa laughs softly and puts a hand on your shoulder. “It’s all right, ghuleh, he’s just being playful.” He smirks, and the look is suspiciously coy. “Of course, if I didn’t know any better, I would think he was trying to flirt, in his own blunt, slightly bumbling way.” And Papa winks again at the other man before heading back to his desk. You stand there, eyes wide and blushing faintly, wondering if that’s exactly what Johannes was doing, and you sneak a glance at him.

Johannes catches your glance, gives you a half grin and a wink...and is he blushing? “Come on, sweetness, let’s eat.”

You smile to him and nod, sitting back down on the couch and taking your tray. Papa hums softly at his desk, pen scratching away. “So um...” you venture after eating silently for a few minutes, “not that I don’t love the idea of just getting fucked all day, but is there anything I can do around here? Or would I not be welcome in the halls?”

“Ah. Well.” Papa sighs. “You’ll probably want to avoid Sister Imperator... Satan knows I prefer to avoid her...” 

Johannes chuckles. “She sounds incredibly pleasant.” He is eating quickly, suddenly ravenous.

The snort that comes from Papa is explosive. “Even sarcasm is not enough to describe her. Other than that, so long as one of us or my ghouls are with you, you may go nearly wherever you wish. We have a training room, and a pool, and an extensive library.” He pauses as he feels your tension ramp up slightly, and he looks over. “Ah, yes, I suppose we do need to speak about my ghouls...”

You frown, shredding a piece of bread apart. “I don’t know if I can be near them, Papa. But I...I don’t know why...when I think about them there’s this...fear that I don’t understand.” 

Johannes sets his finished breakfast tray aside, puts a reassuring hand on the back of your neck. “I’ll go with you, no need to worry.”

Papa sighs softly and comes over, kneeling down in front of you and putting his hands on your knees. “Well, I had been hoping to save this particular topic for when you were better used to your surroundings...but things are moving much faster than I thought. I...suppose we must explain to you...what we are."

You stare at Papa, confused. "W-what do you mean, what you are?" Your gaze bounces back and forth between Papa and Johannes. "You're...you're rock stars. From Sweden. Or..." You pause. "Or ...what am I missing?"

Papa gives Johannes a look, then focuses back on you. "We are not simply rock stars, my dear. The reason that we had to take you from the concert...was because you saw us in our true forms during our...disagreement. The public at large has no idea that...well..." He sighs softly. "This is harder than I thought it would be. Bluntly then: my ghuleh, myself and my ghouls are demons."

You laugh. And when neither Papa nor Johannes join you, your laughter fades. "Come on, you're just ... you don't need to make stuff up to get me to keep your secrets, I already said I wouldn't say anything to anyone." You stare at Papa. "Right? You're just...making a joke or something...?"

Papa stares at you, face completely serious. Even the usual glint of good humor is gone from his eyes. "I am not joking, my dear. A secret this big? That is why we brought you here. Only a select few people outside our clergy know--and they are mostly at the Vatican."

You lean back into the couch, still staring at Papa, wondering if he'd lost his mind. "Demons. I thought they were just something religions made up to keep people in line." You look at Papa disbelievingly. “And how is that possible when you...look like a man?” You blush hard as you mutter, “You sure fuck like a man.”

He smiles, and it's half amused and half disgusted. "It does sound like something they would make up. But no, we have been here as long as their angels. And nearly everything they say about us? Is a lie. But...that is a discussion for another time. I can...I can show you proof, if you like. I can show you my true form." And he sounds...extraordinarily nervous.

"Well...I ....wait." You pause. "So I saw you in your...true forms that night?" Papa nods. "Dammit, I still don't remember anything!" You close your eyes, try to recall something... anything... "I don't ... do you glow, or something?" You open your eyes. "Were there dogs there?"

Papa smiles faintly. "The glow you saw was most likely Fire and his...well, fire. And dogs? Not exactly..." He motions for Johannes to take over, and you blink at him. 

"That's right, you're apparently not human either...is that why your makeup disappeared?"

"Not exactly," Johannes says, a strange expression on his face. "I'm not...really sure what happened to my makeup, to be honest." 

You shake your head. "So what are you then...a vampire?" You laugh a little but stop when Johannes doesn't join in. "Oh lords, are you really?" 

"No, no," Johannes says quickly. "No...I'm ...we're... The band you know as Avatar is actually the elite orchestra and inner royal circle of Avatar Country. Our king...all of us...all the citizens of Avatar Country...are shapeshifters. Most everyone can shift into one animal. Those of us in the elite orchestra and the inner circle can shift into more than one, but... but wolves are our animal of choice."

You stare at him, looking back and forth between Papa and Johannes. "So...so my new lovers are a demon pope and a shapeshifting assassin?" You lean back on the couch, rubbing your face. "I just wanted to pee that night, what the actual fuck?!"

Papa looks to you, almost pouting. “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty awful...”

You shake your head. “Awful isn’t the word I’d choose... Unbelievable, maybe...” You sit back on the couch and just stare at both men for several seconds. Then... “You said you would show me ... Will you?”

“Of course, ghuleh.” He takes a deep breath, and when he lets it out it sounds like it’s coming from a deep chasm. The darkness shrouds his head again. His left, white eye blazes with light like a star, and his right goes black. Horns appear from his forehead, curling around his head, upturned at the tips like a crown. What skin you can see goes pitch black, though his face stays the same black and white paint colors. The hands on your knees grow claws at the fingertips, and a tail curls around your ankle suddenly, spade-tipped and black. Finally, wings appear at his back, but they’re not...physical. They look smokey, and almost like they were constantly being blown apart and reformed in a wind. “Well, my love? What do you think?” His voice is the same but...mesmerizing, somehow.

As he changes, you inhale slowly; it’s almost a gasp. As you watch the transformation, your eyes grow wider by the second, jaw dropped, and you jump at the touch of his tail, which actually startles you into breathing again. “Oh. My. Fuck,” you whisper. “Can I... Can I touch you?”

He blinks, the starlight obscured for a second. “You...yes, of course, but...you are not afraid?” He glances at Johannes with a baffled look on his face.

“I... I don’t know what I am,” you whisper. Slowly you reach out, fingers gently stroking the horns, which are smooth like glass, then sliding down to his face, tracing the lines of the paint. “I should be terrified... But you’re so fucking beautiful, there’s no room inside me to be scared.”

His face softens, and he closes his eyes and presses into your touch. “Thank you,” he whispers sincerely, and when your fingers near his lips, he kisses each of your fingertips. He can’t believe that you find him beautiful in this form...but then again, you’ve surprised him so much already that he really shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

You’re spellbound, that’s what you are, you think as your hands cover his, rubbing the claws almost absently as you watch his tail glide along your leg and across your lap, twitching as it moves. “Is it wrong for me to want you just like this?” You look up at him and smile shyly. “Because I think I do.”

His eyes flash open, and his lips part with a growl, letting you see the fangs that also grew in. His body tenses, and he is visibly holding back from grabbing you right then. “I...I want to, ghuleh. Perhaps...after Johannes shows you his shapeshifting abilities. I...” He looks into your eyes, and your sight starts to narrow onto that glowing orb. “I could very easily kill you in this form...”

Johannes finally leans in and puts a hand on the small of your back as he says quietly in your ear, “Look at me, sweetness. Just for a minute.” When you don’t respond, he places his hand lightly on your cheek. “Sweetness, just for a second. Look at me.” Gently he turns your head away from Papa’s mesmerizing visage and makes you look at him. 

After a few seconds you refocus and truly see Johannes’s face. You exhale. “What just happened?” 

“Well, I’m no expert, but I think you may have been enthralled. Am I right, Papa?” You look over, and Papa has hidden his true appearance again.

Papa sighs and nods. “I am sorry, ghuleh. It is not something i am able to control.” He pauses, then murmurs, “If you truly want me to make you mine in that form...well. Think about it more. It is not a decision to make lightly.” He leans in and kisses your forehead, then stands. “...Excuse me. I...I think I need some air.” And he turns and sweeps from the room. You watch him go worriedly, wanting to go and reassure him that everything is okay.

You start to get up, but Johannes stops you. “Let him go, sweetness. At least give him a few minutes to...pull himself together.” He holds your hands, kisses the palms. “He’s probably more than a little freaked out. He was expecting you to be scared of him, and when you weren’t, that was enough of a shock. Enthralling you didn’t help matters.”

“He didn’t mean to, and...I’m still not sure what that really means... I wasn’t in any danger though...was I?” You look at Johannes worriedly, and for a reason you aren’t sure of, you are close to tears.

He gathers you into his arms and holds you close. “Enthralling is...it’s like putting a spell on someone, but more... If you stay under thrall for too long, it can bind you, enslave you. You lose your free will.” He sighs. “You weren’t under for long, and as soon as I realized what was happening, I broke the thrall...and I’m sure Papa won’t let it happen again if he can help it ... But letting him take you while he’s in his true form is... Well, I don’t know.”

You tremble against him, burying your face in his chest. “I...I don’t want to be scared of him, Johannes...I want to be able to love him however he is. And he...was I imagining, then, how beautiful he really is?” You look up at him, eyes watery. “Is that part of the thrall, or...?”

“You are definitely not imagining it. He is…” His eyes go a little distant. “I don’t think I’ve ever thought of a man as beautiful like I do him....” He shakes himself a little. “But, as I said before, I’m no expert.” His hold on you tightens. “I’m not saying you should be scared...just...cautious.”

You nod, sniffling a little against his chest, before pulling away. “Well, I’m not scared … but….” You shake yourself and turn to Johannes. “But we can talk about that later. Let me see what you can do. How many forms do you have?” And your eyes shine bright with curiosity.

Johannes doesn’t say anything, just looks at you, the expression on his face so incredulous and his silence so unlike him that you finally say, “What? What’s the matter? Can’t you show me?” 

He shakes his head slowly. “How are you real?” At your quizzical look, he says, “You’ve just seen a demi-demon in the flesh and been enthralled, told you could be putting your life in danger, your soul... Anyone else would be screaming as they flee ... And here you are trying to make us feel better, and asking to see me shift on top of it all, like you do this shit twice a day. I don’t....” He reaches out, touches your cheek. “Are you...? You amaze me.”

To his surprise, your response is to blush heavily and look super embarrassed. “Look, I... You both...” You sigh, looking into the fire. “Before this whole...weird-ass adventure happened, I was a fan. Of both you and Papa.” You stand, pacing in front of the fireplace. “Your music and videos and behind the scenes stuff, and everything that Papa put out...they were some of the very few bright spots in my life. They made me happy when almost nothing else did. And you two...you both made me happy most of all.” You don’t look at him as you pause, staring into the fire. “I...I’m a fucking fangirl. And society has forced down my throat since day one that that’s weird, and kinda creepy, and all manner of embarrassing emotions...and I never thought in a million years that something like this,” and you gesture around the room, “could happen. But...here we are...I want to make you both happy, like you’ve made me happy...”

He comes up behind you, his hands on your shoulders, and kisses the top of your head, then turns you to face him. When you keep your head down, he puts a gentle hand under your chin and lifts. When your gazes meet, they are both a little watery. “You are so much more than a fucking fangirl. You are a goddess. Our goddess.” He captures your lips in the slowest, softest, sweetest kiss you’ve ever received, and if you weren’t already a goner, you are now.

Tears fall down your cheeks in rivulets, and you tremble against Johannes. You break away after a minute, looking up at him in awe, cupping his cheeks and caressing him softly. Finally, you pull away and wipe your face, swallowing around the final lump in your throat. “All right, I’ve cried enough for one day. Come on, show me what you can do!” And you sit back down on the couch.

He laughs outright at the sight of you, bouncing up and down like a little child, clapping your hands like a kid waiting for Christmas to start. “It isn’t nearly as dramatic as the show Papa gave. And I don’t have the power of thrall. Just...don’t be afraid....I look like an animal but it’s still me inside.” He closes his eyes and it feels for a moment like all the air is sucked out of the room. Johannes...shimmers...and then the biggest wolf you’ve ever seen is suddenly just...there. His fur is the sleekest, darkest, purest black, and the only other color is the red diamonds around his eyes that looks just like his face paint.

Your eyes widen, and despite the fact that you know it’s Johannes, you’re still a human, confronted by a giant wolf. You swallow, heart hammering, though you make yourself calm down and your heart rate return to normal. You smile to him, all but beaming. “You’re beautiful, Johannes. Could...could I...well, I don’t want to say pet, but...could I touch you?”

The wolf pads over to you on silent paws, stands in front of you and nudges your nose. You need no further invitation. You’re tentative at first, lightly stroking the top of his head...his fur is silky soft, and soon you slide off the couch and kneel next to him so you can stroke him everywhere, finally sitting back and just staring at him. “Wow. Just wow. You’re so beautiful.” The wolf nudges you again, as if to say thank you. You smile warmly. “You said you can shift into more than one animal...which others?” The air goes out of the room again, another shimmer, and a massive black raven hovers before you, followed quickly by an even larger black panther, both with the same red diamonds over their eyes. One last shimmer, and Johannes is sitting on the floor next to you, looking a little tired.

“You’re incredible, Johannes...” you whisper, and you snuggle against him, slipping under his arm. “Wish I could do cool stuff like that...” You nuzzle his chest affectionately.

He wraps you up in his arms and sighs. “Well, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. It takes a lot of energy. And you wouldn’t like all the responsibility and expectations that come along with it.” He chuckles softly. “But I guess it is pretty cool.”

You smile, pressing a kiss to his chest. “You can be animals that give you freedom. You could have left, and had a happier life...”

He scoffs. “Freedom is relative, sweetness. It’s all relative.” Before you can ask him what he means, he says, “I thought Papa would be back by now. Either he got caught up in church business, or he’s avoiding us.”

You frown, looking down at your lap. “I hope I didn’t spook him too bad...should we go look for him?” You are worried about the dark pope, it’s written plain on your face. But you don’t know how to help him see that he didn’t do anything wrong. 

Papa, in the meanwhile, had taken solace out in the gardens. One of his favorite places in the entire church was out here, in a corner hidden from the world by a wall of vines and flowers. He sighs, leaning against the brick of the church wall, and thinks about you, about how easily you were enthralled. He winces, feeling terrible about what he did, even if it was an accident.

Johannes had convinced you to wait for Papa’s return, but finally, when it was well past lunch, and no sign of him, you stood up. “Done waiting. Let’s find him. Now.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you begin to meet some ghouls...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _A word about The Ghouls of Chiaroscuro: While some of our ghouls are definitely inspired by real ghouls past and present (and we'll let you speculate on who!), for the most part, our ghouls are very much their own characters who we created with A Very Large Amount of artistic license. None of Chiaroscuro's Ghouls are intended to represent or be a particular ghoul from any era. (And of course, you're welcome to imagine whichever ghouls you prefer as you read..._

You head for the door, Johannes hot on your heels and protesting, but you don’t care. Papa's been gone for hours, and you are worried sick. You walk down the hall with a purpose, and as you round the corner, you run smack into someone. You stumble back, apologies on your lips, but the words flee when you see two ghouls standing there, their eyes surprised under their masks.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t scared, but your worry and concern far outweigh anything else you might be feeling. “Have you seen Papa? Do you know where he is?”

They look at each other, not expecting that to be the first thing out of your mouth. But Fire looks back to you and says, “He’s out in the gardens, love. C’mon, we’ll take you.” He looks at Johannes suspiciously, but doesn’t comment, just turns and starts walking.

You don’t move at first—you really just spoke to that ghoul like it was nothing!—but then Johannes is nudging you. “Come on there, tough girl, these ghouls move quick.”  
You shoot him a glance as you start to walk after the ghouls. “‘Tough girl’? What happened to ‘sweetness’?” 

Johannes chuckles. “I don’t know. You tell me. My sweetness would have been a quaking mess at the sight of a ghoul... You just practically barked at these two.”

You blush faintly, but smile, eyes on the ground. “I guess I’d do anything for my loves.” And you look back at Johannes with a soft smile before hurrying to catch up to the two ghouls.

Fire looks over his shoulder at you, and he sounds nervous when he says, “I want to apologize for the other night. I didn’t know you were there. I feel terrible you’ve been caught up in this.”

Your breath catches at his words, and the sincerity in them. “Oh, I don’t want you to feel bad. If I hadn’t been wandering where I didn’t belong, there wouldn’t have been a problem so...”

“How did you get back there?” the ghoul asks curiously as he nears a large set of double doors. He pushes them open, and the natural sunlight blinds you for an instant after having been inside for three days.

“Would you believe me if I told you I was looking for the restroom?” you say with a laugh. “Wow, it’s really bright out here...I had no idea it was so sunny...”

Fire laughs and Water’s eyes crinkle in a smile. “The bathroom is almost impossible to find in that venue. It all makes sense now.” He turns down a row of bushes and points, voice lowering. “The end of the walkway there’s a wall of vines. He’ll be behind it.”

Before you can say a word, the two ghouls bow, and they each take one of your hands, pressing your knuckles to where their mouths would be. When they straighten, you can see laughter in their eyes, and you realize Papa is right... These are goofy boys/demons and nothing to fear. “Thank you both.”

“Our pleasure,” Water murmurs, and his eyes crinkle in a smile again. Fire full on pulls you into a hug, and what a glorious hug it is. 

“Papa told us that we’d all meet soon. We figured it’d be in a more formal setting than this. I’m glad it wasn’t.” He lets you go, turns you, and gently pushes you toward the row of bushes. “Go. He’s hurting for the first time I can remember, and I don’t like it.” And they both turn and walk back inside.

You start toward the area the ghouls indicated, but a hand on your arm stops you. Johannes whirls you around and pulls you in to him, tight and close, and slams his lips down on yours. He kisses you breathless and when he lets you come up for air, you see fire in his eyes. “What was that for?” you ask, your voice shaky. 

“Just a little reminder,” he says with a dangerous grin. “In case those ghouls are turning your head.”

You blink up at him, and then a slow smile blooms over your lips, and amusement sparkles in your eyes. “Johannes, if I didn’t know any better I would say that you’re jealous!” You laugh and reach up, patting his cheek playfully. “That’s adorable. Now come on, we have a Papa to find.” You turn and break into a trot down the path, the worry coming back.

You slow down as you near the vine wall, and slowly peer around the entryway. Papa is sitting on the ground, back against the brick wall, legs stretched out before him, eyes closed. And, if you aren’t mistaken, you’re fairly certain those are tear stains tracking down his black and white painted face. He looks...defeated, and your heart aches for him. “Papa?” you whisper.

Papa’s head snaps up, and his eyes widen. “Ghuleh, w-what—” He doesn’t get any farther because you are throwing yourself into his arms. He catches you, every line in his body reading as surprised. 

In spite of what you said earlier to Johannes, you do indeed burst into tears again, and words babble from your mouth, anything to try to make him feel better. “Papa, you didn’t do anything wrong, I’m not scared of you, please don’t cry, I love you so much and you are so beautiful and...” The look on Papa’s face softens and he wraps his arms tight around you, burying his face in your neck and just letting you speak until you run out of things to say.

Johannes stands at the entryway, allowing you and Papa space but still there for...well, for both of you, he realizes. And isn’t that interesting, he thinks as he watches you and Papa rock each other.

“My love...I am sorry I worried you. I just...I could not live with myself if I hurt you...and it would be so easy to do in that form...” 

“But you won’t,” you say firmly. “You are still you. You just look different. You look beautiful in whatever form you take. You’re not a monster, Papa.” 

He laughs, and you’ve never heard a sound less filled with mirth before. “I am a monster. I am every human nightmare, I am literally a demon out of hell. How are...how are you not running?”

“You know, Johannes said the same thing. I’m not running because I know that deep down, under the demon and the shapeshifter, even under the snark and sex...you both are still...you. And you are wonderful, and beautiful, and kind, and everything a good person is.” You cup his cheeks softly, pressing a kiss to his lips that has Papa melting into your arms.

When the kiss ends, Papa stares at you, incredulous, then looks at Johannes. “Is she real? I do not understand...” 

Johannes shrugs and shakes his head, a funny little smile on his lips. “I asked the same question. She certainly doesn’t react the way I expect her to, that’s for sure. Regardless,” and the clown moves farther in to the space, “she is a fucking treasure. And I don’t know how you and I got this lucky.” He kneels down next to both of you, kisses you, then wraps his arms around both you and Papa.

Papa stiffens in surprise for an instant, but then he relaxes. One arm goes around you, and the other around Johannes, and he holds you close, clutching onto you like a lifeline. After a few minutes you hear a soft, “Thank you” from the older man, and you smile and nuzzle into him more as his answer. Finally, you break away, and Papa pulls out a small mirror from his chasuble sleeve, asking as he checks his face, “How did you find me, anyway?” You had to bite your lip to keep from laughing as he does this—it just looks so silly, but so in character as well.

“Ummm...” You pause and hope you’re not about to get someone in trouble. “Well, I literally ran into two of your ghouls. They led us here.” You stroke his hair, pushing his bangs out of his face. “I think they were worried about you too.” 

Startled, Papa looks at you, then at Johannes again, and once again, Johannes shrugs. “Dude, I don’t know what to tell you...she was on a mission and nothing was stopping her, not me, not you, not fear of ghouls.”

Papa smiles as he looks back to you. “I’m proud of you, ghuleh. They weren’t terrible monsters now, were they?” 

You grin and shake your head. “No, Papa, they were really nice.” Johannes grumbles a bit and your grin turns playful. “Really, really nice.” 

Papa looks confused, then understanding enters his eyes. “You met Fire. Yes, he is a very...touchy person.” He pats Johannes’s shoulder. “He’s like that with everyone, there’s no need for jealousy.”

Johannes grumbles a bit more. “Yeah, well...wolves get territorial...and I’ve spent enough time as one. I’m not always good at sharing.” 

“But you share with me,” Papa points out smoothly. Johannes raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

You can’t stop your grin from growing even if you try. “Yes, love, you share with Papa. Why’s he different?” And the tone of your voice is pure, undiluted mischief.

Johannes growls at you, but only half playful. “Because I can’t seem to say no to you.” A quick glance at Papa and then, “Either one of you.”

Papa smirks, and he half lids his eyes and coyly leans toward the other man. “Either of us? So if I were to ask you for a kiss...?” Your breath stops, and you watch with a steadily reddening face.

Johannes stares at Papa, their gazes locked on each other. Johannes leans in close, closer, closer still, and you feel as though you’re about to explode in an orgasm just by watching them. Johannes stills, his lips hovering over Papa’s, both men hardly breathing, each holding the other in a heated stare. Finally, Johannes murmurs, “I guess you’ll need to ask for one to find out.” He licks his own bottom lip, turns his heated stare to Papa’s lips for just a moment, then stands up, offering a hand to each of you.

Papa laughs. “I should have seen that coming.” He takes Johannes’s hand with you and stands, and to the other man’s shock he uses the momentum of standing to lean up slightly and kiss him deeply. You gasp, eyes wide, a surge of arousal heading straight for your core. The kiss is brief, and Papa pulls away with a smug smirk. “Of course, you should have seen that coming.” And he turns and takes your hand, walking for the vines.

You look over your shoulder to see Johannes standing there, staring into space, his fingers absently rubbing his lips. He bows his head, and you can see a smile on his face as he shakes his head and rubs his lips again. “Are you coming, my love?” you ask sweetly. 

He looks at you, and that wild grin of his spreads across his face. “Not yet, sweetness. Not quite yet.” And he follows you and Papa out of the vines.

The walk back to Papa’s rooms is quick, but it also feels like it’s lasting forever thanks to the newly rebuilt sexual tension. You are so keyed up from looks that both men are giving you and each other that the hair is standing straight up on the back of your neck. You need them like you need air. 

Papa, on his end, is glad that he is wearing his papal vestments. The evidence of his arousal would have been extremely evident in pants. He too needs to get back to his rooms, and he gives your hand a squeeze and quickens his pace.

When you finally reach Papa’s suite, he whisks you inside and Johannes follows, slamming the door shut and leaning against it, breathing heavily, staring at the both of you. “I hope I speak for everyone in here when I say we all need to get fucking naked right the hell now.”

Halfway through Johannes’s sentence you are already naked and pulling at Papa’s clothes desperately. You are beyond words, so turned on that you can feel yourself dripping down your thighs. “I need you both so fucking bad,” you gasp, tossing Papa’s chasuble aside.

Papa removes the rest of his robes and grabs you around your waist, lifting you up. Johannes strips as he moves across the room to you, and he is right behind you, sliding his hands and arms under your thighs and gripping hard as he helps you impale yourself on Papa’s cock. You’re so wet he slides right in and you cry out.

“J-Johannes, you too. I-I...I want to try...you both in my pussy...” 

Papa’s cock twitches inside you, and the growl he lets out is unmistakably turned on. “You will have to stay very still, my sweet ghuleh.” 

“I-I know, Papa. J-Johannes, do you want to?” And both yours and Papa’s heated gazes turn on the man behind you.

Johannes groans, “Fuck yes.” He thrusts against you, letting his cock slide along your folds where you and Papa are joined. “Maybe we should move to the bed though...”

Papa nods and moves to the bed, not letting you pull off his cock. He lies down on his back, and you straddle those sinful hips of his, laying your torso down along Papa’s. You shudder as you feel Johannes get on the bed behind you, and his hands are suddenly on your ass, spreading your cheeks wide so he can see where you’re joined together.  
“Good god damn,” Johannes mutters as he works a finger in alongside Papa’s dick, and you gasp. “That’s just my finger, sweetness, I want to try to work up to my dick...” He moves his finger in and out, sliding along Papa, then works a second finger in and carefully scissors his fingers back and forth, in and out.

Your forehead presses to Papa’s shoulder and you let out a wail. You’ve never felt this full before, and you love it. You can feel yourself becoming wetter, and Papa groans. “That’s right, my sloppy love...at this rate we won’t need any lube.” He keeps a slow pace, shuddering in pleasure as Johannes’s fingers rub against his shaft as they move.

“So...fucking...wet...” Johannes whispers as he works a third finger inside you, reveling in yours and Papa’s groans. He does his best to stroke Papa’s cock as he moves his fingers in and out of you.

The stretch inside you is incredible, and you can’t stop crying out into Papa’s skin. You stay very still as they work you open. Papa is crying out and groaning, and when he first feels you dripping down onto his thighs, his eyes flash and his nails dig into the sheets. “G-Ghuleh... J-Johannes...” he moans, and somehow manages to keep his slow pace.  
Johannes scissors his fingers over and over until he feels you gush again. “Mmmmmm, that’s so good... Are we ready?” He doesn’t wait for an answer, just slides his fingers out, and starts guiding his cock in, and lets out a guttural cry as immediate pressure surrounds his dick. You scream into Papa’s shoulder and Papa grips you tightly.

Papa gasps as Johannes starts sliding in, and a guttural growl follows. One hand leaves off clutching at the sheets to bury into your hair, and the other he holds up to Johannes, needing a connection to ground him to earth. You, in the meanwhile...words are gone. The bed under you is gone. Papa’s room is gone. All there is is the stretch, and the two men inside you. Their taste is on your tongue, their scent in your nose, and all you can do is scream and sob in pleasure. Finally, finally, Johannes bottoms out, and all three of you hold very still, letting your walls get used to being stretched so much.

Johannes leans his head into Papa’s outstretched hand, and covers Papa’s hand with one of his own. His other hand tangles in your hair and then he groans, loud and long, and Papa’s answering groan matches his in every way. “I need to move, but if I do, I think I’m going to explode. So fucking tight,” he breathes. You still can’t speak... You simply cry and gasp and moan.

Papa is nearly beyond words himself, but he still has enough presence of mind to gasp out, “We have to—fuck—we have to move very carefully, Johannes,” and his name is one of the most sinful moans as Papa’s cock twitches against the other man’s. He takes a few breaths, and continues. “If we don’t do this right, we will tear our goddess.”

Johannes gasps out a strangled cry. “I don’t even know my own fucking name right now. Christ.” He takes a deep shuddering breath, then another. “Move together, like one?” 

Papa nods, swallowing hard. “Yes... Yes, let’s try. Nice and slow, on three. One...two...three...” And slowly, slowly, they pull almost all the way out at the same time, and then even slower they push back in. That is all it takes—you come, hard, screaming their names as you barely remember to keep still. Papa lets out his own cry and bites down on his finger to keep from coming already.

Johannes closes his eyes, trying to control the shudders wracking his body, failing miserably. “Papa... Papa... I don’t know how much more I can take... Move again...” He isn’t sure if he’s asking or telling or begging.

“Okay...okay...” Papa takes a deep breath, and the hand that’s on the other man’s cheek turns and laces their fingers together. “One...two...three...” Once again they both pull out and push in as one, and your orgasm starts anew. You are absolutely sobbing into Papa’s chest with pleasure, and you can’t stop your orgasm if your life depended on it. Papa’s cry is strangled and guttural, and his chest heaves as he takes a breath.

“Fucking... Christ... Fuck...” Johannes strokes your back with the hand that isn’t holding Papa’s. “Sweetness... Tell me...you’re ok... Tell me...” 

You nod and through your sobs you manage to say, “Ok... I’m .... God ... Ok...” 

“Tell me...if you aren’t....” Another shudder. Then he finally opens his eyes and meets Papa’s stare. “Move?”

Papa nods, swallowing hard again. “Yes, yes, just...one more moment. Oh, sweet Satan, this is...you are doing so well for us, ghuleh, so good...” Another deep breath and he nods to Johannes. “Okay. One...two...three...” They pull out and you scream into Papa’s chest, and somehow, somehow Papa gets his hand between you, and one swipe on your clit as they push back in makes you come so hard you black out. Papa doesn’t notice right away because the feeling of your walls squeezing his and Johannes’s cocks together was enough to send him over the edge. He roars, body going taut as he shoots spurt after spurt of blazing hot seed into you, covering the other man’s cock as well.

The heat, the pressure...too much. Johannes throws his head back and howls as his orgasm rockets through him, jets of come spurting into you, mixing with Papa’s seed. He feels Papa’s dick twitching next to his and he shouts again, cursing, and it feels as though he’s shutting down, sensory overload.

His orgasm seems to last forever, but finally Papa starts coming down. He gasps for breath as he feels himself soften and slip out of you, and he wraps his arms around you and just trembles. “Our goddess, our goddess...” is a whispered litany, but then he notices that you’re not reacting. He blinks, looking down at you. “Ghuleh?” Still nothing, and panic shoots through him. He checks for your pulse and sighs in relief when he finds it strong and steady. He chuckles faintly and strokes your hair. “It seems we were too much for her, Johannes.”

“We were too much for me, fuck,” Johannes says as he slips out of you and carefully drapes himself over your back, feeling your pulse and your breath through you. “We didn’t...we didn’t hurt her, did we? I was so careful but—” He closes his eyes tight. “Please tell me we didn’t hurt her.”

Papa reaches up and runs a soothing hand over Johannes’s hair. “I don’t think we did. But we can check if you wish.” He has Johannes carefully roll you off him, then slips two fingers into you. He presses them around your walls softly. “I do not feel any tears.” He pulls his fingers out and looks them over. “And no blood. She is all right, Johannes. She just came too hard.” And, catching the other man’s eye, he slips his fingers in his mouth to clean them of fluids, moaning at your collective taste.

“That’s...that’s good,” Johannes says, his gaze riveted to Papa’s fingers. “You know, it’s only polite to share.”

Papa smirks, slipping his fingers out and back into you, but gently. “Oh, would you like a little treat?” His fingers pull out, slick and glistening with various fluids, and he offers his fingers up to Johannes’s mouth, smearing some of the liquid along his lips. “I suppose you’ve earned it after all that hard work...”

Johannes’s hand moves lightning fast, grabbing Papa’s wrist. His long tongue snakes out and gives Papa’s fingers a lick...two licks...he sucks Papa’s fingers into his mouth, letting out a hum of satisfaction at the taste of all of you mixed together, and suckles Papa clean, never once breaking eye contact with the dark pope. When he finally releases Papa’s hand, that wild grin breaks across his face again. “I could eat that all day.”

Papa groans at the feeling of the assassin’s talented tongue licking around his fingers, and at his words the older man smirks. “As could I.” His fingers move up to tangle in Johannes’s hair, and slowly, slowly starts pulling him down toward his crotch. “There’s plenty left here if you would like some more...” 

It is at this moment that you wake up, and the first thing you see is Papa pulling Johannes down toward his dick. Your eyes widen as your body freezes, wanting to watch what happens next.

Papa’s gaze is locked onto Johannes’s—neither of them can break eye contact if they tried. Papa keeps his pull on Johannes agonizingly slow and deliberate...the clown knows he can pull away at any moment. But he doesn’t...he lets himself be drawn closer and closer until his lips are hovering over Papa’s twitching cock. He seems to hang there over the other man for hours, and you stop breathing in anticipation. After what feels like a year, Johannes swipes Papa’s dick carefully, tentatively....and then he is lapping and laving, from base to tip, catching all the fluids he can, little humming noises coming from the back of his throat.

Papa groans, hips rolling against the other man’s tongue as his cock, shockingly, swells again. His fingers tighten in Johannes’s hair as he works the older man’s oversensitive flesh. Your fingers curl into the sheets, mouth going dry at the sight before you. You don’t think you’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight.

Part of you wants to simply watch the two men together...but part of you itches to join in...what would it feel like, you wonder, to help one of your loves suck off the other? Two tongues moving together, both of you taking turns deep throating him, each of you trying to drink him down .... A mewl of desire escapes your lips.

Papa looks over at your noise and smirks. “Well, someone’s woken up. Are you enjoying the show, my ghuleh? Do you like watching Johannes pleasure me?” You whine and nod, pulling yourself over next to the younger man. “Oh, you want to help? Well, I certainly won’t turn that down. Johannes, looks like you have a helper...” Papa’s free hand slides into your hair, gripping softly.

Johannes pauses long enough to kiss you and then returns to the task at hand....you wrap your hand around the base of Papa’s cock and suckle the head as Johannes licks along the length, up and down, your lips meeting every time Johannes comes to the top.

Papa growls your names, fingers tightening in both your hair. He presses on the back of your head, pushing you slowly down his length, Johannes’s tongue moving down to play with his heavy balls. You moan into his cock, still tasting of all three of you, and you relax your throat as best you can to take him deeper in. “Oh fuck...that’s it, my love, you’re doing so well...”

You bob up and down, taking Papa’s cock as far in as you can, as Johannes mouths Papa’s sac and Papa moans his name. When Johannes presses his finger against Papa’s back entrance, Papa’s moan gets louder. Johannes quickly wets his finger and presses it into Papa’s back entrance, and Papa thrusts into your mouth. “Ah, clown, impale me,” he whispers.... And the clown does as commanded.

You pull off Papa’s cock for a moment, rooting around in the sheets, before coming back and handing Johannes the bottle of lube that had been lost the previous night. “Ah, thank you, ghuleh,” Papa says, voice raspy in arousal. You smile up at him, then get back to work, taking him deep in your throat again.

Johannes watches you both as he squeezes lube on his hand and strokes himself. His stare is heated, beyond intense. He uses more lube at Papa’s hole, then positions himself behind the pope, pulling Papa’s back against his chest. “Don’t go too far, sweetness, I want you close to me,” he whispers.

You nod to him, watching as Johannes slowly sinks into the dark pope. Papa cries out, biting his lip as one hand reaches up to sink into the assassin’s hair. You whimper at the sight of Papa stretching wide around Johannes. Your mouth goes back to his cock, placing open-mouthed kisses along his shaft.

Johannes’s thrusts are slow, careful, and he watches Papa’s face, taking in his expression of pleasure. “Sweetness, turn your ass this way,” he says as he bottoms out inside Papa. You do as he says, shifting so you were nearly parallel with the smaller man, and Johannes reaches over to cup your pussy. Your wetness covers his large hand; gently he slides a finger inside you, and you moan around Papa’s cock.

Papa shudders at watching this, and he hisses in pleasure as the younger man bottoms out. “Fuck, you feel good, both of you...” 

“So do you, Papa...I love your—mmmm—cock so much...” Your hips squirm back against Johannes’s finger.

Johannes begins thrusting again, his pace a little faster. “Touch her, Papa,” he growls. “Touch our goddess...touch me...” Papa groans as he slides one hand down your side, grazing your breast before seeking out your sopping clit between the clown’s fingers and rubbing it, making you cry out around his cock again. His other hand glides down his own chest and stomach, circling the base of Johannes’s cock and stroking it with every one of the clown’s thrusts. Johannes hisses at Papa’s grip. “Good. God. Damn,” he says in time with Papa’s strokes.

Your body is on fire again, and you quiver hard at the feeling of both of them touching your clit. After what happened a little while ago, you don’t know how long you are going to last. Papa’s words devolve into broken Italian and gasps. He cries out and turns his head, kissing Johannes deeply as his orgasm starts, and he shoots his load down your throat. You moan and drink him down, loving his taste.

Johannes sinks into Papa’s kiss, swallowing his cries as he comes down your throat. His thrusts are faster now, as are his fingers inside you and around your clit. You soak his and Papa’s hands when you come, crying out around Papa’s cock. Johannes tears his mouth away from Papa’s and roars with the force of his orgasm, spurting hotly inside Papa’s ass.  
Papa shudders, coming down slowly, leaning heavily back on Johannes. He smiles, eyes closed, and gathers you in his arms. “You both are amazing.” You smile, about to answer, when your stomach rumbles again. You and Papa laugh, blissful in the afterglow, and you rub Johannes’s thighs softly. “Guess it’s dinner time?”

“Even if it isn’t, it needs to be.” Johannes pulls out of Papa and sinks down, draping himself across both you and Papa. He seems to be fading fast and your touch on his thighs changes. 

“Johannes, are you ok, love?”

“I used up more energy than I took in ... I have to reload...” he mutters, eyes closed.

Papa presses a kiss to yours and Johannes’s forehead, then gently rolls the clown off of him and slides off the bed. “I will go and get some food. You both relax. Any requests?” 

You think about it as he dresses, though you are distracted by his graceful movements. You give him your order and then turn, snuggling into Johannes’s arms for a nap. Papa chuckles and tosses a sheet over the both of you, then heads out. 

A few steps outside the door he spies Earth, and he smiles at the small ghoul, who falls into step next to him. “How are you today, Earth?”

“I’m guessing nowhere near as good as you.” The ghoul laughs softly. “At least the ...ahhh...well. Ha. The sounds we’re hearing from your suite would indicate you’re doing well.”

“Yes, I’m...pleasantly surprised at the recent turn of events. It is not something I ever predicted.” There is a pause as a high-ranking sister asks him a question, and then they move on. “Later tonight, if you could, gather the ghouls and bring them to my rooms. I miss you all, and you need to meet my...well. My new loves.” He makes a sound in the back of his throat as Earth seems to trip over nothing, and he hurriedly helps the small ghoul up. “Are you all right?!”

“Y-yes, I’m fine, Papa,” the little ghoul stammers. “So...so this...new arrangement is... permanent?”

“As far as I know right now, yes.” He pauses, turning a corner. “...I want it to be, anyway. Which is...hm. Well. I haven’t decided how exactly I feel about it yet.”

Earth walks right into a wall. Papa fixes him with his two-toned stare. “Are you quite sure you’re all right, Earth?”

“Yes, yes of course.” Papa says nothing, just continues to look at Earth. “I am...just...surprised. Isn’t this...umm, rather sudden?” Earth said nervously.

Papa smiles. “It is. But it...it feels right. It’s not just the sex, which is...phenomenal. It’s much more than that. I can’t describe it...” The man shrugs as they get into the dining hall. “Actually, will you help me? I need to take three trays back. Or four if you wish to join us and see for yourself.”

“Of course I can assist you.” Earth tilts his head in Papa’s direction, his version of a bow. “And of course I would be happy to join you... If you think it’s all right, if...well. If I won’t upset the girl.”

“She has already met Fire and Water earlier, and got along well. I think you will be just fine.” He smiles to the smaller man and places his orders with the cook.

“Well of course they got along well. Fire and Water are the ones everyone loves. They’re the ones everyone remembers. It’s not so easy for the rest of us.” Earth’s eyes widen, as if he can’t believe he just said what he said. “I’m sorry, Papa, I didn’t mean...”

Papa’s eyes soften, and he puts a hand on Earth’s shoulder. “We have been over this, my friend. You need to put yourself out there if you are to make friends as easily as they do. She is going to love you, trust me. Hers is a...gentle soul. And Johannes...” Papa grins faintly. “He is a handful, but he is a good man.” Another pause. “I think.”

Earth doesn’t respond right away, just looks at the floor. “New people make me nervous. Maybe I should wait until all the other ghouls are there...”

Papa shakes his head. “You are coming into the room to drop the food off anyway. And I will be there. Trust me, at least. I think this will be good for you.” He squeezes the smaller man’s shoulder. “At least try. If it is too much for you, you can leave and I will not stop you, I promise.”

Earth nods. “I’ll ... I’ll do my best.” He squints at Papa. “You do know it’s annoying that you’re right all the time, don’t you?”

Papa laughs and claps him on the shoulder. “So you have said, my friend.” The food comes out and they head back, chatting idly, and they enlist a passing sister to open the door for them.

Earth goes in first, and Papa hears him gasp. The pope’s heartbeat skips—what is wrong? What could have happened since he left?—but when he steps inside he relaxes. You and Johannes are asleep on your sides facing each other, you cradling his head, which is buried in the valley between your breasts, and one of his hands is covering one of your breasts, every so often stroking the nipple as he sleeps. Your legs are tangled with his, and the sheet Papa covered you with has slipped off, so nothing is hidden. Earth looks at Papa, his eyes wide. “They are...beautiful. How...how were you able to leave them alone to get dinner? I...” Papa knows the ghoul is blushing behind his mask. He looks back at you and Johannes. “If they were mine, I wouldn’t be able to tear myself away from them,” he whispers.

Papa smiles as he sets the trays down. “It is not easy, let me tell you. But in order to keep pleasuring each other, we need fuel, no?” He comes over to stand beside Earth and puts a hand on top of his mask fondly. “They are not so scary, eh?”

Earth shakes his head and Papa can hear him gulp. “No,” he breathes. “No, not like...this.”

The older man’s gaze softens further. “Is it all right if I wake them? My goddess’s stomach was growling before they went to sleep. She really must eat soon.”

The ghoul sets his trays down and backs away a little, then nods. “Yes...please...I think... I think I need to meet them.”

Papa nods, then walks to the bed, toeing off his shoes again on the way. He shifts so that he’s kneeling behind you and Johannes, and gently smooths a hand down first Johannes’s then your hair. “Wake up, beautiful ones, dinner is here.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which tempers fly, truths come out, and ghouls come in....

You sigh as you slowly wake, and stretch against Johannes, smiling as you feel his head between your breasts. You kiss the top of his head, then look up at Papa and smile softly to him. “Thank you for bringing dinner back, Papa.”  
  
He smiles to you, leaning down and kissing you gently. “Anything for my goddess. By the way, we have a visitor.” He nods in Earth’s direction, and you look, swallowing slightly but remembering before, how kind and goofy Fire and Water were.  
  
“Hello there.” You glance at the symbols on his right breast. “Earth, right?” And then it dawns on you that you’re naked and you blush darkly. “P-papa, where’s the sheet?!”  
  
Papa chuckles. “How should I know, ghuleh? I haven’t been here since I put it on you.”  
  
You blush harder. “I shouldn’t be meeting ghouls when I’m naked!!” you whisper.  
  
You feel Johannes stir next to you, and you gasp faintly, wanting to cover yourself before the clown gets any sexy ideas. You sit up, dumping the man on the mattress, before spying the sheet at the end of the bed and pulling it up over yourself, still red-faced. Papa is snickering behind you both, highly amused.  
  
Johannes looks up at you, a look that can only be described as a pout crossing his sleepy face. “What did I do to deserve that?”  
  
“I’m sorry, love, but...” You toss the blanket over his hips and nod toward Earth. “Papa brought someone to say hi.”  
  
Papa chuckles and slips back off the bed. “Johannes, this is Earth. Play nice, okay?” He picks up two trays and brings them over to you, then smiles encouragingly to the ghoul.  
  
Johannes sits up, nods at Earth, and throws the blanket off, heading to the bathroom in a sleepy slouch. When he returns, he sits next to you but doesn’t cover up. “What’s it going to take to rid you of that modesty, sweetness?” He chuckles as he tears into his food.  
  
You blush and glower at the man. “More than just meeting someone for the first time. I’m not as confident in my body as you are, Johannes.”  
  
“Well, you have every reason to be, my dear. We don’t call you goddess for nothing, after all,” Papa says gently. You flush again, just looking down at your food and concentrating way too hard on cutting up a piece of steak. Papa shakes his head and walks over to the ghoul, lowering his voice to murmur, “How are you doing?” He did worry for the young man sometimes.  
  
Earth tears his gaze away from you and the clown and looks at Papa....and his eyes don’t have that panicked look they usually have when he is in an uncomfortable situation. “I...I’m .... ok....” he says, sounding surprised. “Maybe I can stay?”  
  
Papa beams at the ghoul and nods. “Of course you can! I’m proud of you, Earth.” He pulls a chair over for the young man and one for himself, then sits down and digs into his own food. “So, my loves, after you eat would you like a tour of the church? I would very much like to show off my home before we leave the day after tomorrow.”  
  
You look up, startled. “Leave? Why are we leaving?”  
  
Papa laughs softly. “Have you forgotten already? We are on tour, ghuleh. You are just lucky that this all happened on one of our rare breaks.” He looks to Earth, trying to draw him in to the conversation. “I believe we are playing in Philadelphia next, correct?”  
  
Earth nods, and says quietly, “Yes, it’s the East Coast leg of the tour.”  
  
You smile at the ghoul...you sense a kindred spirit there. Then you return to the topic at hand. “You...you want me to go along? Is that...I don’t know, ok? Allowed?”  
  
“I would not be parted with you for so long. Either of you. And I doubt our new defender would allow me to stray so far from him.” He winks at Johannes, then looks back to you. “Besides, you are a fan, correct? Would you give up the chance to see every show of this tour?”  
  
You gape at him, eyes wide. “E-every show?!” you squeak in excitement at the thought, hands going over your mouth.  
  
At Papa’s amused nod, you bounce up from the bed, narrowly avoiding spilling food trays everywhere, and throw yourself into his arms, kissing him all over his face, squealing the whole time.  
  
“You got awful confident awful quick there, sweetness.” Johannes chuckles, eyes bright as he watches you. You look down and realize you didn’t take the sheet with you in your excitement.  
  
“Shit, shit, shit!”  
  
Papa laughs, arms tight around you so you can’t get away. “Easy, love, easy. No one here is ashamed by nudity, ghuleh, that attitude is all but forbidden by the church.”  
  
You blush darkly and hide your face in his neck, arms covering yourself as best you can. “That doesn’t mean I’m used to it! And Earth probably doesn’t want to see me like this either!” Papa raises an eyebrow at the ghoul, remembering what he said when he came in.  
  
“I...I won’t look... Much...” the ghoul says, and you can hear the laughter in his voice.  
  
Papa looks at him in utter shock. “A joke? From Earth???? What miracles your body has wrought, ghuleh!”  
  
Amidst the teasing and laughter, there’s a knock on the door, and it opens, another ghoul peeking in. “Did my invitation to this party get lost in the mail?”  
  
You squeak again, blushing to your ears as the ghoul comes in. This one is Aether, the one you saw very briefly that morning, and your head turns back to bury into Papa’s neck. “Now, ghuleh, you’re being rude.” But amusement colors his tone. “Aether, this is Johannes, ex-king’s assassin from Avatar Country. And this is our new ghuleh. My loves, this is Aether.”  
  
Aether makes a sweeping bow then moves elegantly over to you, taking your hand and kissing it, ignoring your embarrassed squeak and blush. “Truly, it’s a pleasure to finally meet the ones who have enraptured our Papa.” His gesture includes Johannes, who nods in acknowledgment. With Aether there, much more talkative and full of grand movements, unlike Earth, the room is starting to feel full, and you wish you could get dressed, or at least get the sheet back, but Papa isn’t letting you up from his lap.  
  
He would be lying if Papa said he didn’t enjoy your discomfort at least a little. But at the end of the day he wants you to be comfortable being naked without being forced, and so he does let you up, and even wraps his jacket around you so you aren’t flashing the entire room as you walk to wrap the sheet around you again. You smile to him as you get the sheet, and bury your nose in the collar of the jacket happily.  
  
You sit back down on the bed next to Johannes to finish your meal, and that’s when you notice that the clown is only half-heartedly participating in the banter and conversation happening around the room. “Johannes? Are you ok?”  
  
“Hmmm, yes, I’m fine. Eat your dinner so Papa doesn’t freak out again.” You stare at him a little while, and decide later you will press him a little harder.  
  
Papa notices as well, and frowns faintly. He claps his hands together suddenly and stands. “We need some wine. Johannes, will you come and help me carry some bottles?” Papa tosses his pants to him, and the look in his eye says the other man can’t refuse.  
  
Johannes sighs as he puts on his pants, and then he kisses you. “You’ll be all right with the ghouls, yes?”  
  
You nod, and kiss him back. “Of course. They’re big dopey boys, and that’s my favorite kind of person. Go help Papa.”  
  
Papa leads him out of the room, and once the door is closed and they start down the hall, he says, “Out with it, Johannes. What’s wrong?”  
  
Johannes stares straight ahead. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Don’t you have a bar in your room?”  
  
“We have a wine cellar, all I have is hard liquor. Do not bullshit me. Even our goddess noticed. Do you really want to worry her? Now, once again, what is wrong?”  
  
Johannes says nothing, just keeps walking. Papa grabs him by the shoulder and forces him to stop. The clown whirls around and fixes Papa with a steely glare. “You just don’t take no for an answer, do you?” he growls.  
  
“Not when it comes to the two most important people in my life, no, I do not!” Papa scowls at him, hands on the man’s shoulders. He fixes Johannes with a glare of his own. “Is it the ghouls? Do you have an issue with them being in my rooms? They are as close to me as you two are, and now that you’ve both had time to adjust they will be around more often.”  
  
The clown snorts derisively. “Uh, no. Why should I care whether the ghouls are around or not? They’re your ghouls, this is your deal, I’m just here for the ride,” Johannes snarls. “I don’t even know if I’m still going to be here, so why should it matter to me?”  
  
Papa’s eyes widen in shock at his words. “What...what do you mean, still going to be here?” His voice lowers dangerously. “You told our goddess, and me, that you were staying. Did you fucking lie to us?” Hurt enters his eyes as he waits for the clown’s answer.  
  
“No, I didn’t fucking lie!” Johannes hisses. “I told you I’m staying. I don’t run, goddammit! Leaving her would fucking kill me. I think leaving you might end me too. But I may not have a choice!” Johannes pulls away from Papa’s grasp, runs his hands through his hair in frustration. “Fuck, Papa, I’m not the king’s ‘ex-assassin.’ I’m the king’s assassin. It’s not some temp job I can just quit. It’s my life. And I failed at my life when I didn’t do as my king commanded. I may...” For the first time, there’s fear in the clown’s eyes. “There will be consequences. I don’t know what, I don’t know when, I don’t know how.” He looks Papa square in the eyes. “But I promise you, consequences are coming. And I am terrified.”  
  
Papa lets the hurt fall away, and he steps forward, enveloping the taller man in a hug. “My dear Johannes...do you honestly think that we are not ready to defend against whatever your king might send? I predicted something like this would happen. Your king is not known for his kindness. All my ghouls have been on high alert, staying near my rooms at all times. All the sisters and brothers who can fight have been watching each side of the church building. And I am with you at all times.” He cups Johannes’s face, going completely, deadly serious. “We will not let anything bad happen to you, or our goddess if they go for her instead.”  
  
Johannes stares at Papa incredulously. “You...your people...would do that? For me?” He shakes his head. “I can’t let anything happen to your people because of me. I really should go. But I can’t leave you. I can’t leave her. And how the fuck can I go on this tour with you? What if someone comes after her while we’re on the road?” Tears are sliding down the clown’s face, but he is either ignoring them or doesn’t realize they’re there. “I’m damned. I failed my king and I am damned.”  
  
“As talented as you are, dear one, you are not part of this band. You will be with her when I am on stage. I can hardly see you letting her out of your sight. And, since you are the...” His lips twist. “...current king’s assassin, I assume that you are his strongest. Which means that you will keep her safe on tour. And we will keep her safe here. Yes, we would do that for you. You are not going anywhere.” His thumbs wipe the other man’s tears away. “Do you understand me? And if somehow your mind overrules your heart and you leave? I will bring you back. I will not let you hurt me, and more importantly that goddess in there,” and he points angrily back toward his rooms.  
  
Johannes stares at Papa for a long moment. “I should never have brought my shit to your doorstep. I’m sorry for that. And you should know that my death may be the only way this can all be resolved. But I will protect you and our goddess until that day arrives.” He pauses. “And if I make the mistake of leaving, you have my express permission to kill me rather than bring me back...because that would be what I deserve.”  
  
Papa doesn’t stop to think—he goes demon form so fast there is a shockwave. Surprised cries come from the few sisters still in the hall, most of whom had left to give them privacy. But Papa doesn’t hear them, because he is too angry. “KILL YOU?! I COULD NO MORE KILL YOU THAN RIP OUT MY OWN FUCKING HEART! OR OUR GODDESS’S HEART! I WILL BRING YOU BACK, AND YOU WILL GROVEL FOR OUR GODDESS’S FORGIVENESS ON YOUR KNEES! THAT IS WHAT YOU WOULD DESERVE! DEATH SERVES NOTHING!”  
  
Johannes snarls, “I can make you—” A pop interrupts him, and Earth is suddenly standing between the pope and the clown, his right hand resting on Papa’s chest, at his heart, and his left resting on Johannes’s. “What the actual fuck is going on?” Johannes growls, the clown makeup beginning to appear around his eyes and mouth.  
  
Earth looks at him, eyes calm but sparkling somehow. “I’m grounding you.” He closes his eyes, and it’s as if a valve has suddenly opened up inside Johannes and all the fear, anger, self-loathing, and dread in him just drains out, and his makeup fades with his emotions. He is an empty vessel for a second, then he feels solid, warm energy filling him up. From the look on Papa’s face, something similar is happening to him.  
  
Papa sighs, and his demon form drops. He is docile now, looking at Earth and Johannes passively. Another hand presses to their arms and they find themselves back in Papa’s rooms, looking at you on the bed, wide-eyed and scared as they hadn’t made it very far before the yelling began.  
  
Earth pats both Papa and Johannes on the back. “Hug her. It will ground you more. I’ll get the wine.” He shoots you a reassuring glance then looks at Aether. “We should get the other ghouls as well. These two need the balance.” Aether nods, and both ghouls blink out.  
  
You get up from the bed as they blink out of the room and approach the two men. “Are...are you all right?”  
  
“Yes.” Papa’s voice was soft and even. “Earth temporarily drained all our emotions so that we would not fight each other. It will wear off soon. I am...sorry to have worried you, my ghuleh.” He steps forward, wrapping you into his arms, and you accept the hug, burying your face into his shoulder.  
  
Johannes moves behind you, wraps his long arms around you both, and lays his chin on the top of your head. “I’m sorry, it was my fault. I’m the cause of all this...shit.”  
  
“No, you’re not, Johannes...I am...” They both move to argue, but you hold up your hands: “No, really, listen to me. If I hadn’t gotten lost looking for the bathroom and seen the confrontation between you all, none of this would have happened. You, Johannes, wouldn’t have been sent to kill me and end up fucking me instead, and I wouldn’t be here. So it’s all my fault...”  
  
“You cannot think that we blame anything on you, though. You are our goddess. No matter what happens in the coming months, we are happy, blissful, to be with you.” Papa presses a kiss to your jaw, and his hands are shaking slightly.  
  
Johannes nods against your back. “He’s right. My life as I know it has been blown to hell, and I have no idea where I fit in here, but I belong to you, and that makes everything worth it.” You have no idea how long you stand there wrapped around each other, but eventually Earth pops in, wine bottles clinking.  
  
“Oh good, you’re still hugging. That’s....that’s good. Papa, Aether is summoning Fire, Water, and Air.”  
  
Papa nods. “Thank you, Earth. Your and the others’ help is appreciated.”  
  
You look over to the small ghoul, who has seven or eight wine bottles in his arms. “Oh, Earth, let me help you!” You detach yourself and come over, taking four of them and setting them down on Papa’s bar. Lowering your voice, you ask, “What did you mean by balance?”  
  
“Oh...oh...” Earth knocks a wine bottle over and you quickly right it. “W-well, really, you might want to ask Aether, he’s the metaphysics expert...”  
  
You smile. “I don’t even know what metaphysics are; a complicated explanation isn’t going to help me. Besides, I asked you.”  
  
If you could see under his mask, you’d see his blush. “Oh. Well. It’s like dark and light? Good and bad? But...more. Because it’s elemental... That’s why there’s always five of us ghouls... When there’s too much of one element, it throws everything off. And I don’t know if you noticed, but with Papa and the clown, there’s way too much fire.”  
  
The little ghoul shivers and you giggle. “Oh yeah, I think I noticed. So, what, do all of you just need to be here? Or is it like a spell, or...”  
  
“Oh...oh! Well....”  
  
You glance over as Earth finds his words. Papa is sitting down on the edge of the bed, looking down at the floor, a lost look in his eyes. Johannes is starting to pace, biting at a fingernail. Your heart breaks seeing them like this, but you turn back to Earth to hear his words, hoping you’ll be able to fit in somehow to help.  
  
“Well, to some extent it is just us being around...usually we’re all here most of the time. It...it...well. It helps all of us, you know, not just Papa. And the...the closer the better. It’s…it’s better if we’re in the room, not out in the hall. But... but....well...”  
  
You smile at seeing the blush under the ghoul’s mask. “I understand, Earth. And I’m glad that Papa has all of you. And that you all have each other.” You put a soft hand on his arm and beam at him. “Thank you, Earth. I’m glad to know you.”  
  
Earth looks at you intently. “I’m glad to know you too. But...but...are you sure you understand? Be-because it may...it may need to get...well. Really close. And you...you are involved now too. Metaphysically, I mean.” He grabs your hand on his arm. “You...you’re like a..a charger. You...they need to plug in to you. Oh...oh that sounded awful, I’m sorry. But they do...it helps them. It helps you. And ... and it will probably help everyone.”  
  
“Everyone?”  
  
“Well, Papa and Johannes definitely. But the...us ghouls I think too. Aether really knows more about this...” He looks at you closely. “I think...well. Ha. I think you should talk to him...”  
  
You swallow, blushing faintly, but grin. “I mean they’ve plugged in to me multiple times already.” At Earth’s surprised giggle, you relax a bit, but bite your lip. “Earth...how close are we talking here? I mean...I don’t have an issue with, say, a giant cuddle party, but...is that what you mean?“  
  
“Aaaahhhhh.... Wow, I really should not be the one explaining this.” The ghoul shakes his head. “How close…? Well, a...a what did you call it? A cuddle party? Ha, that sounds nice ... umm. Yes, that may be fine day to day...like maintenance? But to...to fix things, or reset things, it may require...more.”  
  
You blush darkly, but nod. “I...I suppose we’ll talk about that if it happens. I don’t...” You look back at the two men, tears filling your eyes. “I don’t want them to be hurt...”  
  
“Neither do we, love.” You jump at the new voice and turn, seeing the other four ghouls are now in the room. Almost immediately a sense of peace seems to lower the tension, and you look at Earth in surprise at how well that works. Fire comes over to you, setting a bottle of white wine down next to the others, and pulls you into a hug. “Everything’s gonna work out, don’t you worry.”  
  
You melt into Fire’s hug and can’t believe how much better you feel with the ghouls all there. “So...if they need to...ahh...plug in,” you blush again, “but they...we also need to have you all in here to help balance everyone ... how does that...work?”  
  
Fire grins and calls over Aether. “He can explain it better, but basically: if you guys have sex, we either need to be in the room, or participate.” His blunt words leave you gaping and blushing, and he laughs and goes over to Papa. The fire ghoul squats down in front of the dark pope and puts his hands over the other man’s knees. “Hey, Papa. You’re in some shit, aren’t you?”  
  
Looking up, Papa snorts a laugh. “That is one way to put it, yes.”  
  
You watch Fire with Papa, loving the way the ghoul gives him a boost, and then you notice Earth is pacing along with Johannes, doing for the clown what Fire is doing for Papa. Air and Water are pouring wine...the whole scene makes you want to weep for the beauty of it. You turn to Aether. “This is ... so much more than I ever thought it was.”  
  
Air hands you the first glass of wine, and his eyes are kind. “This is a lot to take in, I am sure. That night we took you, we remember seeing you in the crowd.”  
  
Water comes over, handing Aether a glass, and he smiles to you. Where Air’s voice is deep, Water’s is soft and soothing, but bubbly. You can see that he’s normally energetic, but he’s keeping it down for the situation. “You were very enthusiastic. You gave all of us energy. “  
  
“Really? I can’t believe you noticed me out of all those people. I wasn’t even up front, or even close to the front.” You take a sip of the wine and a happy noise bubbles out of you. Air and Water chuckle as they move off to distribute wineglasses.  
  
Aether sips his wine and tilts his head as he studies you. “Darling girl, you could have been in the back of the venue and we would have noticed you. Your aura is so bright, and the energy you give off is so strong, one would have to be very mundane and very dense not to pick up on it. For supernatural creatures such as ourselves, you are a wailing siren with a whirly light above your head.”  
  
You swallow slightly, looking up at the ghoul. “Could...could I have attracted other...supernatural creatures eventually?” Then you shake your head. “Never mind, that’s not the issue. So, explain this metaphysics thing again please.”  
  
Aether laughs. “I’m happy to, although Earth is being self-deprecating, as usual. He gave you the general idea...he just has a hard time getting some of the ideas out, especially when it has to do with sex.”  
  
You blush, swallowing slightly as you look up at the ghoul. “That um...that’s the part I’m most worried about, I think. I...I’ve had some sex in my life before...well, before I met them.” You motion to Papa and Johannes, both talking with the ghouls who had gone to them. “But it wasn’t a lot...and now...” You blush even darker, the tips of your ears turn pink. “Now I might have to participate in an orgy...”  
  
“Well, to be fair, orgies are a damn good time.” Aether winks and you can’t help but laugh even as you blush more. “Earth is right: your cuddle party idea will more than likely be sufficient most of the time. I suspect, though, that things will escalate naturally, even without anyone trying very hard, and I also suspect that while the concept of an orgy embarrasses you when you’re just talking about it, when you’re in the middle of all that cuddling, things will start happening, you will probably even instigate it, and you’ll hardly bat an eyelash.”  
  
You blink in surprise. “You...you think so?” You press a hand to your cheek. “I don’t know if I could be that confident...and I would be worried about hurting Papa and Johannes...”  
  
Aether looks around the room, taking in what everyone is doing, making sure everyone seems ok, then he looks back at you. “Oh, I think so. It doesn’t have anything to do with confidence, darling girl, although I’m sure that will increase as you come to a better understanding about yourself and what you are.”  
  
You blink again, feeling more confused the longer you talk with him. “What I am? I’m...” You look down, shuffling your feet nervously. “I’m a human fangirl...I’m not...that important, no matter what they say. You could switch me out for any other woman or man at that show...”  
  
“Oh but that’s where you’re wrong, darling girl.” Aether walks you over to the couch and the two of you sit. “Let me ask you a few things. When Papa showed you his true form, were you terrified, or were you fascinated?”  
  
“Of course I was…” You pause, about to say _terrified_ , then add a bit sheepishly, “...well, fascinated.”  
  
“And when Johannes shapeshifted for you, you weren’t scared then either, were you?” You shake your head. “And I am willing to bet that you feel very...at home here, despite the unusual circumstances of our meeting you and your arrival here.” You nod. “Regular human fangirls do not respond to these types of situations the way you are. Trust me.”  
  
“Are you saying I’m not human?”  
  
“No, you’re human. I’m saying you’re human plus. You’re a conduit.”  
  
You stare at the fire, and you swallow. You...have always felt different from everyone else, growing up and even as an adult. But you had dismissed it, mentally degrading yourself by saying “everyone feels that way, doesn’t mean it’s true.” But it turns out that it is. You swallow again, before looking back to the ghoul. “What’s a...what’s a conduit?”  
  
Aether sits back and sips more wine. “A conduit is someone who can channel energies and magicks, charge them up, amplify them, send them out, transform them, distribute them. Earth called you a charger, and he was partly right—if a supernatural being plugs in to you,” Aether chuckles at Earth’s term, “you’ll naturally increase their power. But you are also a way for two beings to share power, or transfer it. Your aura naturally holds on to any overflow and then distributes it out when someone else needs it. You’re naturally attracted to beings with power...no wonder why you were a fangirl first, right?”  
  
You grin faintly, then shrug. “I hardly knew what they were at the time. But...I suppose it makes sense. So...can I learn how to control all that?” Your eyes light up. “I could learn how to defend myself so that Johannes doesn’t have to worry so much!”  
  
Fire glances over at you and grins faintly. “Looks like Aether is schooling your goddess, Papa. I am surprised that you or Johannes didn’t tell her what she is. Surely you could feel it, at least.”  
  
Papa sighs. “At first I had no idea. Aether was the one who did research and told me about her. But she has had enough to adjust to, what with me, Johannes, all of you, and the church. I did not want to pile that on her as well.”  
  
Fire nods. “That makes sense. Though I am surprised that he didn’t just blurt it out. He doesn’t seem like a subtle one.” He cocks his head as he looks at the still-pacing man, next to Earth, who looks like a puppy next to the shapeshifter.  
  
“Do you disapprove of him?” Papa asks curiously, the tiniest, barest hint of a warning in his voice. He trusts Fire’s opinion enough to at least listen to it.  
  
The ghoul shook his head. “No, not...disapprove. I think that he is troubled, and he has a lot to learn about his own emotions if he’s going to be in a relationship like this.”  
  
Papa laughs softly. “You are absolutely correct. And what a lesson it will be.” He clinks wineglasses with the ghoul and drinks, then stands. “My friends, I have missed you all being here. Thank you for coming to help. We are all family here, though some are new. Please, take off your masks and make yourselves comfortable.” Aether and the other ghouls start taking off their masks, and you’re awestruck for a few minutes ... your inner fangirl is squealing and you can hardly contain yourself as you watch the unveiling.  
  
You don’t know whether to cover your face or not. They are all beautiful, and you can’t lie, you want to give all of them kisses. You look to Aether shyly and smile to him. “As a fan, I feel like I shouldn’t be looking at any of you.”  
  
Water passes by on the way for more wine and laughs at hearing that, suddenly leaning over the back of the couch and kissing your cheek. “You’re so cute!” You blaze red, making him laugh again, and he grabs your glass to refill it.  
  
Aether laughs. “Ah yes, but you’re no mere fan any longer, darling girl.” He leans closer to you and murmurs in your ear, “Remember, things will start happening and you won’t even think twice...just like that kiss. And this...” And he presses a gentle kiss on the side of your neck. “We’ll talk more about all the magical stuff later ... let’s just have fun with everyone, shall we?” He stands up just as Johannes, with Earth trailing him, comes over.  
  
You freeze up, eyes wide and face red at the kiss, not believing that just happened. You shake your head, clearing it a bit, then stand up and turn to meet the ghoul and the clown. You smile softly to Johannes and press a kiss to his cheek. “How are you holding up, love? It feels better in here, doesn’t it?”  
  
Johannes swoops you up and kisses you soundly. “Yeah, it really does. The little dude here says it’s something about balance and elements and I don’t know what all, but I’m not about to complain.” He kisses you again. “Are you all right? You’re not mad at Papa and me, are you?”  
  
You thoroughly enjoy his kisses, then pout up at him. “You both said you’d try not to fight. It’s barely been a full day. I’m not angry, love, but...you seemed so off earlier...I’m just worried about you both.”  
  
He looks at Earth, then back at you. “I’m sorry, sweetness. I don’t mean to worry you, but by trying not to worry you, I guess… I’m worrying you. I’m a shithead.” He cups your face, kisses you again. “I’ll try to do better...I promise.”  
  
“Hey now,” you say after you enjoy his kiss again. “You’re not a shithead, you’re just...a handful.” You grin and wink at him. “In more ways than one.”  
  
Johannes nuzzles your neck and growls. “Just a handful? How disappointing...I thought I was worth at least two.” You giggle and he spins you around.  
  
Papa looks over and smiles. “I’m glad he’s feeling better. Thank you, Fire.”  
  
Fire smiles and leans against his pope. “Anything for you, Papa.”  
  
He grins faintly, arm slipping around Fire’s waist in a friendly manner. “He is a good man. He just needs to get used to being such. I am...not sure he knows what to do half the time without being given an order by his king.” He sighs softly, watching you both. “He will need time.”  
  
Fire smiles, leaning against him. “And we’re happy to help give him that time. And her, as well—she needs to work on her confidence.” He frowns as he watches you with Johannes. “She really is better than she thinks she is...”  
  
One of the ghouls puts on some music, and Johannes swoops you about for a few steps before gathering you close and swaying back and forth in time to the song. “I’m not much of a dancer,” he says, “so if you’re looking for waltzes and stuff, you may need to ask Papa, or one of these ghouls.”  
  
You shush him. “Are you insane? I don’t dance. This swaying is about as close as I’ll get, and that’s fine by me. But I want both my loves to dance with me...” And you look over to where Papa is sitting with Fire and beckon to him. “Come dance?”  
  
Papa smiles. “My lady beckons.” He ruffles Fire’s hair playfully and stands, walking over to you. He turns you around, one hand on your waist, the other holding your hand in the air. “I could never turn down a dance with my love.” His eyes capture yours, and a soft smile curls his lips.  
  
Water sighs happily, draped over the back of the couch. “They’re so beautiful together...aren’t they, Earth?” The playful ghoul nudges the shy one.  
  
Earth startles a bit but smiles at his friend. “Oh! Oh...yes. Well...yes. They are beautiful. All...all three of them.” He watches closely as Johannes watches Papa lead you through a dance, the adoration in Johannes’s eyes practically drowning everyone in the room. “I... I have to take care of the wolf, you know.”  
  
“Take care of him?” Water asks. “How?”  
  
“Not...not sure yet,” Earth said.  
  
Papa’s eyes are all you can see, and your smile is soft and loving. You forget that you can’t dance, as Papa is graceful enough for the both of you.  
  
Fire plops down next to Earth. “I hope that doesn’t mean you’re meant to hurt him,” he murmurs, making sure the clown can’t hear him.  
  
Earth blinks owlishly at Fire. “N-no, I don’t ... no. I don’t think I can? You know how sometimes one of us is more...more drawn to Papa than the rest of us?” Fire and Water nod. “I am...very drawn to the wolf. I’m...I’m supposed to be.” He pauses and then says, “None of this...nothing that has happened was an accident.”  
  
Air, mostly silent up until now, murmurs, “Do you think it’s Satan’s will?” The other ghouls look to Earth, who is still watching Johannes watch you and Papa dancing through the room.  
  
“Ahhhhhh....well. Maybe? Even the Divine Discord enjoys seeing...beauty in its natural state.” Earth props his chin on his hands. “And this is...well. Yes. It’s definitely that.” The other ghouls nod. They’ve learned throughout their time that Earth is often an oracle, and they take his words very seriously, even when he has trouble getting them out.  
  
Water smiles and leans his head on Earth’s shoulder, watching as Papa spins you to a stop beside Johannes, then grins and offers the clown his hand. “Dance with me?” You and the ghouls hold your breath as you wait for Johannes’s answer.  
  
Johannes’s lips quirk in a little half-smile, and he grabs Papa’s hand. “All right. But you have to lead. And for fuck’s sake, don’t dip me.”  
  
Papa smirks. “I always lead.” He takes a similar pose that he had with you, and whirls Johannes off into the music. You walk over and sit next to the ghouls, watching the two men dance with the most loving look on your face. Water and Fire let out an “aww” and wrap their arms around you.  
  
“Aren’t they beautiful?” you say, tears in your eyes. “I still don’t quite understand why those two beautiful creatures want to be with someone like me.”  
  
“Hey now,” Water says, a little frown marring his adorable face. “Why wouldn’t they? You are ... you glow just standing in a room.”  
  
“Sure, because of my aura or whatever Aether said.” You wipe a tear away and point to Papa and Johannes, who do look absolutely radiant. “But those two men are legitimately, physically perfect...I can’t compete with that.”  
  
“We beg to fucking differ,” Fire says heatedly. “You are stunning!”  
  
“Sexy as hell!” Water exclaims.  
  
“Beautiful,” Air intones, and though he sounds a bit deadpan his eyes are trained intensely on your face.  
  
You hardly know how to act in the face of the ghouls’ praise and you hide your face in your hands. That is, until you feel someone grip your hands and pull them gently away. Earth is kneeling before you. “You are EVERYTHING,” he whispers before kissing the palm of your hand.  
  
Your eyes go wide at shy little Earth on his knees, and his kiss makes you shiver hard. You watch him, body rigid, and they can tell that you’re holding yourself back from moving. You want to kiss Earth so badly. But you don’t know how Papa or Johannes feel about it, so you can’t let yourself.  
  
Papa and Johannes are finishing their dance when Aether comes up behind them. “I do believe some of the ghouls need to worship your goddess...but she needs your permission....” The pope and the clown turn to see Earth kiss your palm, and watch your reaction and the looks on the other ghouls’ faces, the tension around the couch so thick you couldn’t have walked through it. Your loves look at each other, then back at you. Aether claps them both on the back. “You both need to worship as well, don’t you think?”  
  
Johannes glances at the ghoul. “I... that’s a lot of...group activity...”  
  
Aether smiles. “Yes...but it will be good for you...all of you...especially when we’re back out on the road. The connections we form here will help us all protect her...and you.”  
  
Papa looks to Johannes. “I have never had any problem with the thought of sharing her with my ghouls. I have always considered them,” and he puts a hand on Aether’s shoulder, “part of me. But I cannot make this decision for you, Johannes. Do not feel guilty if you say no, either. We would understand.”  
  
On the couch, you shudder in pleasure as Fire runs his nose up the side of your neck and into your hair. “You smell wonderful, goddess...” he moans into your skin.  
  
Johannes watches you close your eyes briefly, trying to keep your composure. Sharing you doesn’t sit well with his wolf at all … but you aren’t objecting … and anything that will protect you can’t be all bad... “It will help me...us...protect her?”  
  
Aether nods. “Nothing is perfect, but we will all be much more in tune with her. With each other. We’ll know where she is, we’ll sense her emotions. Even if she is out of sight.”  
  
Johannes growls and looks at Papa. “I can’t say no to either of you. And dammit, look at her... She’s...Christ. And I can smell her from here...she needs this....”  
  
Papa smiles faintly. “Is that a yes, dear one?” He too is watching you on the couch, and he can see you quivering in need from where he is. The dark pope bites his lower lip as he watches Fire bury his face in your hair, and Water is kneeling next to Earth now. “Can you imagine watching her being pleasured by so many? Each of her sweet spots will have attendance...that is truly the worship our goddess deserves, don’t you think?”  
  
Water takes your free hand and presses a kiss to your wrist, and your throat closes on a moan as you feel his tongue swipe over your pulse. “You taste wonderful too,” he moans as Earth kisses a fingertip. Air leans over and nips at your ear, not saying anything, but there’s desire in the lines of his body.  
  
“Fuck,” Johannes moans. He grabs Papa’s hand and slaps it on his clothed erection. “Does that feel like a fucking yes to you?” Fire runs a finger down your neck and across your collarbone and your shudder runs through you like a bolt of electricity, and every ghoul, even Aether, who is still behind Papa and Johannes, lets out a tiny groan.  
  
Papa groans as well, and gives Johannes a teasing squeeze before letting go and clapping his hands once. “Bring her to the bed, my ghouls. My only stipulation is that you are each to give her an orgasm. Yes, even you, Earth—have you been practicing with the sisters like I told you to?” You don’t get to hear Earth’s answer as Fire and Air have already picked you up and are moving toward the bed. You gasp, still disbelieving that this was even happening to begin with, and your head turns to see Papa, who’s looking sternly at Earth, and Johannes, who’s looking at you like you’re his next meal.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which ghouls take their pleasures...

Fire kisses your temple as he and Air reach the bed and lay you down, and Air smiles as he lets his hand slide down your side before he steps aside and Johannes is suddenly there, kneeling next to you. “Are you sure you’re ok with this?” you ask quietly. You’re not totally confident that anyone in the room would be capable of stopping at this point, the way desire is zinging through the air, but you want to be sure...you remember his words about being territorial... 

Johannes cups your chin and looks deep in your eyes. “Put your hand on my cock.” You do so and your eyes widen. “I’m sure. I want this. You need this....and Papa and I will always give you what you need.” His kiss is deep, rough, thorough.

You groan into his lips as Water impatiently pulls the sheet off your legs, still the only covering you had on, aside from Papa’s jacket. The sight of your dripping cunt has everyone groaning and growling, and you whimper into the clown’s mouth as the tension in the room ramps up even farther.

Johannes tears his mouth from yours with a growl, then stands to strip his pants off. You sit up, look at the ghouls surrounding you, and feel the crazy urge to laugh. “This is...unreal,” you whisper as Aether tangles his hand in your hair and tugs before leaning down and kissing you deeply. You touch his cheek and sink into his kiss as someone else...you’re not quite sure who...reaches for Papa’s jacket. 

When he takes a breath, he whispers at your mouth, “Just feel, taste...enjoy...”

You can only nod, body feeling swamped with heat and need. They gently pull your arms through the sleeves of Papa’s jacket, but you barely register the cloth moving as you press your lips back to Aether’s, more insistently this time. He moans into your mouth, and you cry out into his as you suddenly feel two mouths at your breasts, licking and sucking at your nipples. Papa watches all this happen, palming his erection, but he keeps an eye on Earth. He’s worried this might be too much for the young ghoul.

Earth feels Papa’s gaze and looks at him. He looks a little panicky, but not too awful. “I…well. I’m not sure I’ve had enough practice. Especially...when Fire is involved.”

Papa frowns, looking at Fire, who is enthusiastically sucking on a nipple right now. “He is always encouraging you, Earth. And when he does tease you it’s not to be mean. Give it a try. Besides,” he leans down and murmurs into Earth’s ear, “she is literally the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted. If you do not have a taste yourself, you will regret it.”

Earth blushes. “I... believe it. Her hand...ha. I kissed her hand, and it was...” He sighs. “Papa, how do you stop?” 

“Stop what?”

“Kissing her.”

Papa smiles. “Ah, my dear Earth...It is difficult to stop.” Earth sits at the foot of the bed...watching.

The feel of two mouths at your breasts...you don’t think you’ll ever get used to how good it feels. You peel your eyes open as Aether pulls away to undress, intending to watch them work, but the first thing you see is Earth, sitting at the foot of the bed, looking nervous but watching with awe. Your heart goes out to him, and you put a hand on Fire’s and Water’s heads. “H-Hold on a minute.” They pull away, wondering what is wrong, but you sit up and hold a hand out to Earth. “Come here, Earth.”

Earth shifts a bit but doesn’t quite move. “Will it help if we meet halfway?” you ask. He opens his mouth but no words come out. He just nods. You smile, then get up on your hands and knees and begin to crawl toward Earth, stopping for a moment when Water whispers, “Sweet Satan,” and you feel him run his hand down the line of your back and over your ass. You look at Earth. “See? Not so hard...” Slowly, eyes on you the whole time, he gets to his hands and knees and begins to crawl toward you.

You smile to him encouragingly, and when he reaches you, you settle onto your knees and cup his face softly. “Oh Earth...can I tell you a secret?” He swallows, beyond words, but nods. You lean forward, pressing your lips to his ear, and murmur, “Back on the couch, I wanted to kiss you first.” Papa smiles as he watches, hoping that you can instill some confidence in the ghoul. The other ghouls just watch, knowing he needs this.

Earth draws back, a look of disbelief on his face. But when he looks at you, you nod and whisper, “Truth. Promise.” Something in your expression melts the disbelief, and a shy smile crosses his face. “Ha. That’s... that sounds nice.” He finds Johannes and raises an eyebrow. 

The clown grins. “Little dude,” he says, and nods. Earth looks back at you, leans forward and captures your mouth, oh so gently, in a sweet kiss. You cup his face again, savoring his softness.

Papa smiles proudly, tempted to clap, but he refrains. He just watches you kiss Earth, your fingers softly caressing his face, before sliding up into his hair. His kiss is so easy to sink into, and you let yourself, pressing softly up against his chest. Your lips fit together perfectly, just like you knew they would.

His hands slowly come to rest on your hips, and then they slide up and around your back. When he snugs you closer and strokes your whole back, you sigh.

Goosebumps raise on your skin at his touch, and you slowly, slowly pull him forward until you are lying down under him. Your fingers go to the buttons on his ghoul uniform and start undoing them. You are slow and gentle so he has time to pull away, but you don’t want him to. Fire and Water sit back and watch, Fire idly rubbing his erection. He turns his head and whispers to Water, “He’s doing so well. They look amazing together.” Water nods happily, propping his head on his fists to enjoy the show.

Buttons undone, you slide your hands up his smooth chest, pushing his uniform open and off his shoulders. He finally breaks the kiss and gazes at you. “Kissing you is like kissing a dream,” he whispers. “If I touch you, will I touch the sky?” 

You smile. “I don’t know, baby, why don’t you touch me and find out?”

Fire’s eyebrows rise to his hairline, and he whispers to Water, “When did he get that smooth?” Water grins and shrugs, not wanting to say anything. 

You take his hands and press them softly to your shoulders, sighing at how good they feel. You lean in and kiss him again, needing to feel his lips on yours. Papa nods in approval, impressed at how well Earth is doing.

Earth’s hands start to move, but then he stops, looks at you with a question in his eyes. “It’s ok, you can touch wherever you want ... I won’t break.” 

“Oh no, I know you won’t break ... the sky never does. I might break though,” Earth whispers as he watches his hands move from your shoulders down to your breasts.

You shudder in pleasure, wanting to close your eyes, but you keep them open, not willing to miss any of the expressions on his face. You sigh as his fingers move so softly over your nipples that you almost can’t feel it. But the caress is more than enough to harden them, and you hiss as they do so rapidly. He stops for a second, almost afraid he hurt you at that sound, but you press his hands back and smile. “That was a good sound, I promise.”

Earth looks surprised. “You’re not... You’re not just doing that to...well. Am I really making you feel good?” he asks quietly. “You can tell me if I’m not...”

“Oh Earth...of course you’re making me feel good. My body wouldn’t be reacting if you weren’t.” You smile to him and lean forward, pressing an open-mouthed, but still sweet, kiss to his neck.

Your kiss seems to give Earth permission, somehow, and he starts exploring you more fully, hands and lips roaming ...carefully, slowly, but surely, until you are writhing beneath him as he sucks on one nipple while stroking the other, making you gasp and moan. You have one hand on the back of his head, pressing him closer to you, and your other hand reaches out, looking for something to grab ...

Your hand comes in contact with Water’s, and he leans down and presses a kiss to your palm before holding it, lacing your fingers together. This is Earth’s time to shine, and he isn’t about to rain on his parade. He looks around, watching everyone watch Earth pleasure this goddess, and everyone is smiling, happy and aroused. Water smiles himself, blissful to be a part of something so beautiful...

Earth gradually lets himself explore more, moving over you, kissing you down your stomach, leaving a trail of fire in his wake, until he reaches your pussy. He pauses, and looks up at you. “I...want this... May I?” 

“Please, Earth ... please,” you whisper, and you reach out with your other hand, grasping, and Fire grabs hold. Earth stares at your pussy for what seems like an hour, and you try to stay still, you don’t want to rush him, but the anticipation of his touch is killing you...and suddenly Earth leans in and uses the flat of his tongue to lick you in one long slow swipe. You arch your back and pull against the hold Water and Fire have on you as your wail fills the room.

Your thighs shake by his head, and your eyes narrow in on his reaction to your taste, suddenly a little self-conscious through the fire of your arousal. You bite your lip, giving a soft squeeze to Water’s and Fire’s hands. Papa slips slowly onto the bed, hand slowly pumping himself as he watches the scene before him. He gently nudges Johannes, smirking faintly, leaning down to whisper in his ear, “Your little shadow is doing well. Are you enjoying the show?”

Johannes flicks a quick glance at Papa before returning to the carnal scene before them. “I haven’t seen anything this hot since ... well, a few hours ago.” He grins as he palms himself.

Papa laughs softly, leaning against the other man, then softly calls out to Earth. “Well? Isn’t she the best thing you’ve ever tasted?” 

You blush faintly at Papa’s words. Fire laughs softly and murmurs, “She smells like she is...mmm, can’t wait to have my turn...” 

Water nods, groaning softly. “Want to taste her so bad...after Earth, of course...” Air nods, leaning down and kissing you, more passionately than you would have guessed from him, but the kiss is brief so you can focus on Earth and the sensations he draws from you.

Earth looks up, a dazed expression on his face. “It’s.... ha. It’s like....” He takes another long taste of you, hitting your clit with a fluttery movement that makes you cry out louder, and you can feel your cream gush onto his tongue. He closes his eyes and swallows. “Papa...it’s like drinking a myth.” And he begins to carefully, thoroughly, drink you down. And you begin to come...

Your eyes widen in shock. It hasn’t been very long since he started, and you’re coming already? You wonder if it has anything to do with the elemental balance thing—and then you’re not wondering anything because you’re screaming Earth’s name. Your hips roll against his face as your legs shake next to him, and you are so high you don’t even register the fact that all the ghouls are shuddering in shared pleasure, hips writhing. 

Water whimpers, looking in a daze over to Papa and Johannes. “S-She...how do you stop touching her? She feels so good...I would never let her stop coming...!” 

Papa smirks, watching Earth as he keeps drinking your cum. “It is a trial to let her rest, Water.”

Fire’s grip on your hand tightens and he drops his forehead to meet yours, overcome by the sensations he’s feeling. “I don’t know how the three of you survived so far .... if this is how it feels now, when you’re inside her ... fuck.”

Papa moves over as Earth doesn’t stop, and he gently puts a hand on the small ghoul’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Earth, you did so well, but it’s someone else’s turn. Come now, back away.” But Earth only makes a sound of protest and wraps his arms around your thighs, drunk on your taste and the feel of your orgasm.

Even though it’s becoming too much, you can’t stop thrusting into Earth’s mouth...it’s like the two of you are caught in a loop, and you’re not sure how to release each other. Johannes puts a hand on the ghoul’s other shoulder and leans over. “You’ve got to let up, little dude, our goddess needs to breathe ... and so do you.”

Finally his tongue on your clit is too much, and you gently push his head away. Papa wraps his arm around Earth’s shoulder and pulls him back, letting the small ghoul surface from your taste. Almost as soon as he is out of the way, though, Fire swoops in. His lips devour yours, and while he leaves your clit alone, two fingers slide into you. The taller ghoul moans into your mouth as his digits stroke your inner walls, making you whine and buck against him.

Your vision is hazy but you recognize Air and Water as they lean over...each of them claims one of your nipples for his own, licking and sucking the hard peaks, and Fire swallows your cries. Your hands are free and you scrabble for purchase. Aether helpfully grabs both your hands and gently pulls them over your head and holds you there, dropping kisses all along your outstretched arms. Someone—Johannes maybe? You are no longer certain—is pressing gentle kisses along the inside of your leg, and you are nothing but fiery sensation from head to toe.

Papa groans as he watches this happen, leaning down and murmuring into Earth’s ear, “Look at her...she is magnificent, isn’t she?” His hand is pumping himself, watching as they pleasure you. Fire moans with each of your cries, fingers pumping faster and faster inside you. He uses a tiny hint of his power to warm his thumb up and suddenly swipes it along your clit. You scream into his mouth and come instantly, clenching tightly around his fingers, making all the ghouls cry out once more.

Fire tears his mouth away from yours and lets out a shout as he works you through your orgasm. “Papa,” he finally gasps. “What...what are we allowed to do? Are we only able to pleasure her? Is she allowed to return the favor? What...what will you permit?”

Papa looks to Johannes, then back to Fire. “As far as I am concerned, she may do whatever she wishes. If she wants you all to fuck her, then be my guest. I will take the last turn. Johannes, how do you feel about it?”

Johannes strokes your thigh, watching you writhe under the continued attentions of Water and Air. “Whatever she wants, she gets.” He smiles, a positively wolfish grin. “Besides, I’d like to see just how sloppy she can get.”

“Well, there you have it. Earth, I’d like you to go first if you’d like—you made her come, so that’s your reward. The rest of you can decide the order after that.” 

The ghouls nod, beckoning the still star-struck young man forward, Papa urging him on. You hold your hand out to him, desperation in your gaze. “Please...please, Earth, fill me up...”

Earth takes your hand as though he doesn’t know what to do next, and he looks at Papa and Johannes with a panicked expression. Johannes smiles and says, “You got this, little dude, you got this,” as Papa murmurs encouragement in his ear that you can’t make out.

You wonder what Papa’s saying, even as you smile to Earth encouragingly. Gently you tug him forward, hands going to the buttons on his pants, the only ghoul who hasn’t yet shed them. Gently you unbutton him and tug the zipper down, moaning as he springs free, rock hard and leaking despite his nerves. Softly you cup your hand around his erection, rubbing slowly up and down, watching his expression carefully.

He opens his mouth, and you wait, but nothing comes out. “Tell me, Earth. Tell me what you want to say,” you whisper, but he shakes his head. He is beyond speech. “It’s ok, it’s ok. You don’t need to use words.” You continue to stroke his cock. “Just use this...”

Papa watches, worried for the small ghoul, and one look at Johannes tells him he feels the same. “It’s all right, Earth. You can do this.” You lean forward and kiss Earth, not taking your hand from his cock, hoping to loosen him up a little.

He returns the kiss, sinking into you, and you are able to bring him closer until he is kneeling on the bed next to you...and you lie back once more, bringing him down and over you. You spread your legs wide to give him plenty of room between them, and when the kiss ends, you murmur into his mouth, “You’re right where you need to be, Earth,” and you rub his cock through your folds and the both of you gasp into each other.

You rub his tip against your clit, and you whimper into his cheek, before positioning him against your entrance. “Go ahead, Earth. Push inside me. I want to feel you...” There is a pause in which nothing happens—no breathing, no shifting on the bed—and then he pushes forward, stretching you wide and sinking into you, and the other ghouls moan as one, able to feel a little bit from their smallest friend. Earth isn’t the longest of them there, but he is very girthy, and the way he stretches you open makes you wail into his neck.

Earth pulls out slowly, the friction along your inner walls almost too much for you to take, and then pushes back in. “Are you… are you with me?” he asks. “I ... ha. Ha. I need to go fast.”

“I’m...I’m with you, Earth,” you moan. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, I’m with you.”

In a flash your legs are suddenly up over his shoulders, and he’s pounding into you with a ferocity you never would have expected from him. You scream his name as he hits that special spot, and you squirt hard, soaking his sac and thighs and the bed under you. Papa and Air, sitting behind you both, moan and growl as they see you squirt around Earth. Air and the other ghouls shudder as they feel some of what you are. Your hands scrabble at the little ghoul’s back, leaving red lines that make him groan into your neck.

He continues to pound you, hips pistoning. You hold on to him tightly, crying out his name. Finally, his thrusts get wilder, even faster, and he roars with the force of his orgasm as it erupts, his hot seed bursting into you, triggering your orgasm. Your high-pitched keen rings through the room, and some of the other ghouls shout as well.

You come down slowly, trembling against him, your arms tight around his neck. His name is a whispered litany as tears of pleasure trickle down your cheeks. You peel your eyes open, looking at him in awe, and your hands move down to smooth over his face. “Wow...”

Earth blushes, smiles, and buries his face in your neck. “Thank you,” he whispers. “I hope you stay with us forever.” He rolls to his side, taking you with him. You lie there with him, both of you taking a few minutes to just breathe and stroke each other. Then Earth says, “I really... Can I... I want to lie here and watch you while you and... well.” He wraps a lock of your hair around one of his fingers. “Is that ok?”

You smile to him softly, heart full to bursting. “It’s more than okay, Earth. I want you here, and I want you to kiss me and touch me whenever you want, okay?” You give him one last small kiss, then look to the other ghouls. “Who’s next?” 

Fire, ignoring his brothers, pounces on you. “I can’t wait any longer!” His head dives between your legs, giving you one long swipe with the flat of his tongue, before he moves up and pushes into you eagerly. You cry out loudly—Fire is very well-endowed, not as thick as Earth but he’s longer, and the ridge on the head of his cock is very pronounced. You scream his name as you feel that ridge deep inside you, and your eyes roll back in your head.

Johannes is right there, eyes full of equal parts heat and concern. “You tell us if it’s too much, sweetness. You’re so beautiful, you’re amazing, but you have to tell us if it’s too much.”

Fire doesn’t stop, but you manage to gasp out, “I’m okay, love, I-I’m okay! F-Fuck, you feel good, Fire!” One of your hands laces with Earth’s, and one with Johannes’s. 

Fire groans, hips keeping a steady rhythm. “So do you, love, fuck, you’re so tight and sloppy after squirting...could fuck you all night...” You whimper at his dirty talk, feeling yourself gushing around him, a mix of your fluids and Earth’s seed.

“Good god damn, Fire, how sloppy do you think you can make her?” Johannes drops kisses on your temple and forehead as he watches Fire fuck you. 

“Pretty damn sloppy, I’m thinking,” Fire groans. 

Water slides over to your other side. “She sounds so wet, it’s making me hard just listening to her,” he murmurs as he rolls your nipples between his fingers before beginning to suckle one again. You gasp at his renewed attention.

You are quickly moving beyond words again. But you do press your hand to Earth’s head, gently bringing him to your other breast and smiling as encouragingly as you were able. Fire groans watching Water suckle on your tit, and his thrusts pick up the pace. “Let’s see if I can make you squirt again...” and your legs go back up.

Earth gently begins to work your other breast, matching Water’s rhythm, as he slides his free hand over your stomach. Johannes motions to Air and Aether. “You know, her mouth has nothing to do, if either of you happen to be interested...”

“My m-mouth is breathing, t-thank you—fuck!—very much!” you gasp out, and you can’t help but smile as Earth giggles against your breast. 

Air looks to Aether and motions to go ahead. “I want her pussy after Water.”

Aether makes a little bow in acknowledgment of Air’s request, and he kneels next to Johannes, at your head. “Oh my darling girl, will you show me what else your beautiful mouth can do? I am very curious...” He strokes his cock and drags it across your lips. 

“Oh my god,” you whisper, and you let your tongue slide along his cock as he drags it back and forth across your lips.

You moan at his taste, heady and addicting. He taps your lips lightly with his tip, groaning as you open wide for him. Slowly he slides it in, letting your tongue swirl around him for a moment before slipping in farther. Fire groans at the sight of Aether’s cock disappearing into your mouth, and his pace increases again, sliding smoothly and rapidly into your sweet spot. You scream into the other man’s cock, feeling yourself starting to squirt again.

Fire’s groans get louder as you squirt around his cock and the sounds of wet flesh slapping wet flesh make every man in the room moan loudly. “Fuck! Fuck!” Fire grunts. “She’s...she’s such a fucking mess...so...sloppy...so fucking...” His words devolve into guttural shouts as he finally gives in and comes.

You scream into Aether’s dick as Earth suddenly rubs your clit, and you’re so keyed up that you orgasm almost instantly, arching up into Water’s and Earth’s mouths as you come. Your fingers tangle and grip into their hair, needing something to ground yourself, and Water growls as you hold them both against your breasts. Aether cries out and comes into your mouth, and you do your best to swallow him down through your own cries. Fire groans as he slowly comes down, and his hips stop moving. He gasps for breath, muscles shuddering uncontrollably as he feels part of your high mix with his own. “That is...so intense...unholy fuck...”

Fire goes to pull out of you but Johannes sits up. “Wait, wait, let me get closer before you move ... I want to see her leak... in fact, all of you should look at this, don’t you agree, Papa?”

Papa smirks and nods. “Indeed, I do agree. The sight is...magnificent...” With that, all the ghouls crowd around your bottom half, and Fire pulls out slowly. His and Earth’s seed began to dribble out of you, along with your own copious amount of fluid. It was deathly silent in there for a second...and then suddenly the remaining ghouls are all but wrestling each other to get to you. Your eyes widen at the display, and you blush darkly.

Johannes notices your blush, and the expression on your face as the ghouls carry on. He watches the commotion for a moment, then looks at Papa. “Is this...ok with you?” He gestures slightly to you. “I don’t think it’s ok with her.”

Papa laughs softly. “Oh it’s fine with me. And I think she’s more confused than concerned. She hasn’t backed away at all.” He is right, as it turns out. You aren’t sure why the sight was enough to cause this particular reaction. You look to Earth with wide eyes.

Earth shrugs and snuggles closer to you, and Johannes mirrors his actions on the other side. “Sometimes...it’s like the demon side of us gets...umm, overstimulated?” Earth says quietly. “Certain things, especially...ah. Well. Fluids are a trigger ... not sure why.” He traces a pattern around your nipple with his finger while Johannes starts to suck a mark into your other breast, almost absentmindedly. “They’ll calm down...and maybe you can...umm...relax? For a minute?” 

Your breath comes out in a hiss. “With the two of you behaving like this,” you stroke their heads, “relaxation is in short supply, Earth.”

Papa slips around to your head, lips pressing to your temple. “Well, someone must keep you entertained, my love.” 

You grin through the haze of pleasure, fingers sliding into Earth’s and Johannes’s hair. “Hey, I don’t mind at all...”

“With this kind of leakage,” Johannes says as he swipes a finger through the fluids still seeping out of you, “I’d never accuse you of minding.” He kisses you deeply. “Are you enjoying all this attention, sweetness?”

You kiss him back, sighing into his lips, before blushing. “I...I am...though I kind of feel bad admitting it.” 

Papa frowns, ducking as a ghoul foot goes flying overhead. “Why do you feel bad?” 

You close your eyes, fingers twisting nervously. “I just...like I told Aether, I didn’t have much sex before now...I kind of feel like...well, like a slut again.”

Papa, Johannes, and Earth all stop what they’re doing and just look at you, staring so hard you can practically feel their gazes boring into your skin. “What?” you ask, keeping your eyes tightly shut. “Four of you have fucked me, and three more are about to ... don’t you think that sounds like a slut?”

Papa scowls. “My love, we have been over this...but since everyone is here…” He looks to the ghouls, and some unheard command makes them stop in their tracks. “Ghouls. What’s the very first rule you learn when you join the Church?” 

All five ghouls intone as one, “Do not be ashamed of what you desire unless it violates an innocent.” 

“What is the second rule you learn?” 

“Do not shame others for what they desire unless it violates an innocent.” 

Papa looks back at you, taking your hand. “Open your eyes, ghuleh.” You do, and you’re looking right into his eyes. “No one here is slut shamed. You are not a slut for following your desires. I never want to hear you call yourself that again.”

“But--”

Johannes lays a finger against your lips, cutting you off. “Do you think I think you’re a slut? Do you think any of these ghouls think you’re a slut?” You shake your head, one single tear sliding down your cheek. “That’s right. We don’t. Because you’re not. You’re a beautiful, sexy woman who is holding her own in a world she didn’t even know existed, who is giving all of herself and getting everything in return. You are many many things, but you are not a slut.”

You look around at everyone, and Earth wraps an arm around your middle, whispering something you don’t hear against your breast. The other ghouls crowd around, wrestling match forgotten, and all start cuddling various parts of you. Your eyes tear up, and you tune back into them all as best you could.

All the ghouls are murmuring into your skin, wherever they are cuddling you, and although you can’t understand what any of them are saying, you feel encouragement and acceptance and love flowing from their words into you, seeping into your skin, into your soul, and in turn, you are returning that acceptance and love back to the ghouls...it is a never-ending energy loop that calms and recharges everyone at the same time.

Papa leans down and kisses you, fingers smoothing over your face. “Don’t ever think of yourself like that...you are our goddess. Your wants are valid. And we love indulging every single one...” he whispers into your mouth. Water and Fire are at your thighs, pressing kisses all over your skin.

You close your eyes but this time it’s not from shame or embarrassment, but so that you can focus on the sensation of all the men touching and kissing you at one time ... seven sets of fingers, seven pairs of lips, seven murmuring voices, all blend into each other until you’re one huge blazing ball of flaming desire. Once more you’re writhing beneath a press of bodies, and finally you whimper, “Water, where’s Water?”

Water kisses his way up your body, languid, slow, taking his time savoring you, such a contrast to the wrestling match he was just in. “I’m here, goddess. What would you have of me? Tell me how I can please you.” 

“Kiss me, please, I need you to kiss me!” 

“Whatever you wish,” he whispers against your jaw, and then he is kissing you, and what a masterful kiss it is. His lips go from teasing and soft to devouring your mouth in an instant, and with the other six men keeping up their actions, you are desperate for more—but you aren’t sure what that more is.

The kiss with Water seems to go on for days until finally you tear your mouth away from his, gasping, “I’m so empty, Water, so fucking empty. I need you...need you to fuck me right goddamn now.”

Water gasps out, “Yes, goddess, yes!” He moves between your legs, tip rubbing up and down your sopping folds, before slowly pushing inside you. A hint shorter but slightly girthier than Fire, Water has a slight upward curve to his cock that makes his tip drag along the top of your walls deliciously. You wail out his name, arms tight around his neck as you hang on for dear life.

Water is thorough...each of his thrusts go deep within you, his hips rolling against yours each time he bottoms out, and you cry out with every movement...and yet.... “Fuck, I need....I need...” you moan. 

“What, sweetness?” Johannes whispers. “Tell us what you need, we’ll give you whatever it is.”

“I don’t know!” you wail as Water’s cock scrapes against your inner walls in just the right way. “I just need .... more....” 

Aether moves in next to the clown. “Maybe I can help with that, my darling girl. Water, roll onto your back.” With an assist from Aether and Johannes, Water hugs you tight and moves onto his back, never slipping out of you. Aether gently presses on you, pushing you to lie flat on Water. “Let me fill you more, darling girl,” Aether says as he presses a finger against your back entrance.

You wail, and Water feels your whole body shudder. You press back eagerly against his touch, forehead pressing to the neck of the ghoul under you, and you remember to relax back there.

Papa smooths a hand down your back, murmuring, “That’s my good girl...Johannes, where did you put the lube? I believe you had it last.”

Johannes looks around, swears, then rolls off the bed. The bottle of lube comes flying up onto the bed, followed by a slightly rumpled-looking clown. “We’re gonna need to leash this so it doesn’t keep getting lost,” he says with a chuckle.

You grab the bottle and hand it to Aether eagerly, wanting more of him, more of all of them. You tug Earth up, kissing him deeply, whining into his mouth as you feel lube drizzle over your back entrance. Water doesn’t stop, keeping his pace the same, hips rolling into yours as he bottoms out and putting delicious pressure on your clit.

Aether slides one finger in you, following quickly with a second, and you push back impatiently. “Just let me open you a bit, darling girl. I don’t want to hurt you.” 

You pull away from Earth only long enough to gasp, “Hurry, Aether, hurry. I can’t...hurry.” You feel wild, possessed, more like a force of nature than human at this point, so consumed with heat and need and unable to say much beyond a few simple words.

Papa groans as he feels your energy, and his cock twitches in need. “Fuck, I need at least some contact...” He turns to Johannes, pulling the other man over and kissing him deeply, ravenously, unable to resist with your energy flowing like that. The other ghouls are in a similar position—even stoic Air is all but rutting into his own hand.

Your hand that isn’t gripping Earth is scrabbling for purchase, reaching for anything, and suddenly Fire is there, and you grab hold of his rapidly stiffening cock, stroking it in time with Water’s thrusts as you keep kissing Earth.... when Aether finally slides his cock in your ass, you scream into Earth’s mouth, your grip on Fire tightening at the same time your inner walls clench around Water’s dick.

Fire cries out at the same time Water does, both their hips bucking at the tight grip you have on them both. Earth moans softly into your mouth, fingers still playing with one of your nipples. Papa groans into Johannes’s mouth, moving so that he is lying under the taller man. His hips rise, dragging his cock along the other man’s erection, not seeking to come but wanting to tease, wanting to make Johannes as desperate as he is for friction.

Again you pull away from Earth just long enough to say, “Air! Where’s Air? Where is he?” and you sound—and feel—panicked that you aren’t touching him. 

Air moves in to your line of sight. “I’m here, I’m right here, what do you need, little one?” 

“I...I have to... touch...” You move your hand off Earth, and onto Air, wrapping your fingers around his cock as your lips return to Earth’s ... and when you kiss him, you are touching every ghoul at once, and all of the ghouls roar as a shockwave of energy reverberates through all of you like an earthquake, and your orgasms set off like timebombs.

Papa and Johannes, at the head of the writhing mass of bodies, all but scream as the shockwave flows over them. They can’t hold back either and they come, shooting jets of scalding seed over each other’s stomachs. You all writhe as one, your face and body covered in the ghouls’ cum, and by the time the orgasms calm and slow you are unconscious.

Johannes picks his head up from Papa’s shoulder, his eyes wide, and he exclaims, “What the FUCK was that?!”

Everyone looks at Aether, who is slumped over your back, looking shaken. “I...I am not totally sure—” 

“Papa,” Water interrupts, “Papa, she’s unconscious, I can’t tell if she’s ok.” The ghoul sounds panicked.

Papa curses and rolls out from underneath Johannes. “Fire, get dressed and run down to get food,” he snaps, and the ghoul is off the bed, dressed, and out the door in record time. “Earth, go into the bathroom and get wet washcloths to clean her.” The small ghoul scuttles off, trying not to cry. “Air, get a glass of water please. Water and Aether, pull out of her, gently.” Papa checks your pulse, finding it strong, but fluttering a little. He frowns and looks at Aether. “You are the best at sensing and feeling energy. How does hers feel right now?”

Aether closes his eyes, then opens them, feeling a little panicky himself. “I can’t tell. It’s... it’s like she closed herself off.”

Johannes is up and grabbing Aether’s arm in a lightning-fast move. “What the fuck do you mean? Closed herself off? Is she hurt? Does she think we hurt her? Is she gone?” His voice catches on the last word and Papa puts a hand on Johannes’s shoulder. 

Aether shakes his head. “I don’t know. I’m not totally sure what happened, but it felt like a power surge. It shot through her and into all of us like, like lightning.” The ghoul holds out his hands, and they are trembling. “The power exchange ... was almost too much for me. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to her.”

Papa sighs heavily and squeezes Johannes’s shoulder, partly in a warning to calm down. “We will simply have to wait until she wakes up.” The unspoken “if” hangs in the air, bringing the mood in the room down. Air and Earth come back, and Earth is visibly shaking, a few tears on his cheeks already. Papa nudges Johannes and nods in the small ghoul’s direction. He whispers, “Help him, will you?”

Johannes pushes his hair off his face and moves to Earth. “Here, little dude, let’s get her cleaned off.” He takes one of the cloths Earth is carrying and claps one huge hand on Earth’s back. “She’ll be fine.” 

Earth sits next to you and starts gently cleaning you. “We can’t lose her. We can’t lose either of you. If either of you go ...” His tears drop silently on your skin. 

Johannes clears his throat, trying not to cry himself. “We’re not losing her, little dude. And I’m sticking right here.”

Papa watches them for a moment, then turns to Aether. “What are our options to try to help? Do you think we should wait for her to wake up? Should we try to pump some energy into her? Or should we try an energy dive?” He smooths a hand over your hair. “She may be stuck.” 

There’s a knock on the door and Fire comes in, pushing a cart full of different kinds of food. “I don’t know what she likes, so I got some of everything.” 

Papa smiles. “Thank you, Fire. She’ll appreciate it when she wakes.” 

Fire frowns, worried. “She’s not awake yet?”

Papa shakes his head, then turns back to Aether, who looks bewildered. “Without being able to tell what her own energy levels are doing, I am reluctant to try anything. If we pump energy into her, if she’s already overloaded, that will just make it worse. Plus, she’s closed off...anything we try to give her might just bounce back. Same with a dive.” The ghoul stares at you for a few beats, then looks back at Papa. “I think we may have to wait. And none of us are good at that.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you are lost and found...

You, meanwhile, are not aware of your outside surroundings at all. You can’t feel anything happening to your body. What you do feel is a raging torrent of energy, and you can’t get out of it. You feel as if you’re tumbling head over heels with no end in sight. And then, suddenly you stop. The torrent parts around you, and you see something coming up through the energy. Your eyes widen as a demon, face androgynous, completely nude with both breasts and a penis, approaches you. A set of black feathered wings rests on their back, and a long tail curls through the air. Their skin is pure black, and both eyes blaze like Papa’s left eye does. Their horns are large and curled like a ram. They reach you, and in their face is compassion, and lust. “So, you are this ‘goddess’ my Papa has been so hung up on. Mmm, I can see why, you are a rare treat, aren’t you?”

“Well, only to some, I guess. Who are you, exactly?” you say as you look around, trying to figure out what the hell is happening to you.

The demon laughs softly, one large clawed hand turning your face to look back at them. “Now, now, my dear, I prefer mortals to look at me as I’m speaking. Really, considering that we’re both in your head right now, you should be able to guess. You’re a smart one after all.” The being smirks, eyes roaming your form, and you realize you’re still naked even in your own mind.

“Shit, shit, shit, why am I always naked?” you mutter. The being in front of you snickers and you turn on them. “You know, it’s kind of not funny at this point, it’s starting to become an issue.”

“Oh, it’s quite funny that you’re still ashamed of nudity, my little treat.” The demon sighs, shaking their head. “This is what happens when God’s teachings corrupt even a non-Christian. You are lovely, little one, do not be ashamed of what you have. Own it.” The being’s fingers come down, framing your breasts. “Mmm, I bet Papa and that clown love to play with these. My adorable little Earth could not keep his hands off them. You’re going to be good for him, by the way.”

You’re about to say something snarky when you think about what the being just said, and you stop and stare closely. “Wait. What did you say your name was?” You try to take a step backward but find it impossible to do so.

They laugh again, a musical, beautiful sound. “I didn’t. I was waiting for you to figure it out. I do so love teasing you mortals when I deign to approach. But you are too important to my favorite Papa not to, and when you got yourself stuck in here, well...I had to come and introduce myself.” Their head leans forward, lying down on your thigh, starlight eyes riveted on yours as their tongue, very long and sinuous, slithers out and runs over their fanged teeth. “I am Satan, of course.”

You stare at the being for the longest time...and then you burst out laughing. “So I’ve lost it ... everything that’s happened over the last couple of days has finally broken my brain, right?”

The being laughs with you for a moment. “I can see where you’d think that.” Then they get serious. “Your brain is not broken.” They sigh. “Conduits are so rare that not much is known about how they work. I mean, I know, of course, and I will have to enlighten Papa and Aether. Essentially, when you, the conduit, linked in to all five elemental ghouls, it created an energy shockwave that overloaded your body. This,” they motion around to your surroundings, “is what your mind pulled you into to protect you from being completely lost.”

“Wait....you were serious? I’m not just making all this up?” A thought occurs, and you stare at Satan, horrified. “Oh fuck, am I dead??? Please don’t tell me that...” Tears well in your eyes. “I can’t die, I can’t leave Papa and Johannes...and what will the ghouls think?”

“My treat, you are not dead. You are simply...stuck. They will figure that out and come in to get you back, I promise.” Their hands smooth over your thighs, soothing you, and you relax, though a tear makes it down your cheek. “You will go back to them, I assure you. For now though...” They grin, licking their lips. “You are stuck here with me. Lucky you.”

You stare at that tongue, at once a little scared, a little grossed out, and a little aroused. “Can’t you....ummm...can’t you just, ahhh, poof me back?”

“I could, but then you’d have no memory at all of meeting me. Or you’d go mad, hard to say with mortals.” Their nose twitches suddenly, and their eyes flick down to your pussy. They smirk, and that tongue slithers out again, tracing a pattern on your thigh. “I do believe you see something you like, my treat.”

You shudder, once again trying to back away, but you feel like you’re glued to the spot. And you can’t stop staring at that tongue... “I don’t know what you mean.”

The demon laughs, sliding that long, thick tongue to the top of your mound. “No use lying, my little treat. I can see right through it. Do you want me to tongue fuck you? I promise, I can do things you have never even dreamed of...”

You’re mesmerized by their words, by the teasing slide of that tongue... “Yesss....no. No.” You shake your head, trying to snap out of the hazy spell you feel wrapping around you. “No. I just want to get back....”

The being slides their tongue back in their mouth for a second, moving slowly up your body until they’re level with your breast. “Little treat, I keep trying to tell you. You are here until they dive in to get you.” They smirk. “Might as well enjoy our time together.” The tongue comes back out and the tip suddenly wraps around your nipple, writhing against it and squeezing it gently. The sensations are like nothing you’ve ever felt, and you shout in pleasure, hips bucking in sudden arousal.

The being’s answering chuckle is dark, sinful, and something deep inside you clenches at the sound. A teasing brush against your leg makes you look down to see the being’s tail has worked its way up your leg, wrapping around it like black ivy, and the tip is slowly edging along your inner thigh, lightly tapping your skin as it moves. Their tongue is flicking your nipple and you curse as your core tightens and you feel your juices start to flow again.

“Nothing is going inside you, my little treat, until you give me express permission. Is this something you want right now? Your body is telling me yes. If you do not want it, truly, just say so and we can simply talk.” The voice is soft and compassionate, and also somehow coming out without a lisp as the tongue doesn’t stop rolling around your nipple. The tail around your leg gives you a soft squeeze, not advancing any farther, though the tip traces soft designs in the creamy skin of your thigh.

You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to resist the dark pull this creature has woven around you, but it’s like trying to resist the pull of the ocean. In your mind you hear the ghouls saying, “Do not be ashamed of what you desire,” and that insanely long tongue doesn’t let up its soft flickers, and you can feel your cunt start to drip, and your scream feels like it is ripped from the depth of your being. “Take me.”

Satan smirks. “As you wish.” And the tongue moves to where you want it most. They start licking slowly up and down your folds, avoiding your clit, and they groan. “Oh, you taste so good...a treat indeed...especially with all this ghoul cum mixed in... I can still taste Papa as well, he always tastes amazing... Hm, that must be Johannes, interesting flavor, it’s got more bite than I’m used to, but it’s good...” The running commentary flies mostly over your head; you are too busy gasping for air and bucking your hips to really hear.

Tears trickle from the corners of your eyes, which you still have shut tight against the intense sensations that are coursing through you. It’s too much, but still not enough. An invisible force lifts you up, holding you in mid-air, arms above your head, legs spread wide, and your hips are still bucking. You’re chanting “please” in a whisper, just begging for that tongue to roll over your clit, knowing it will send you over the edge.

The demon chuckles. “What a sweet thing you are when you beg. Patience, little treat. I’ll get there.” And then that tongue slides deep inside you. Your eyes snap open as you feel the tongue writhing all around your walls, pressing on places normal cocks and fingers can’t reach. The scream that erupts from your mouth is strangled and raw, and cuts off with a gurgle as you feel the tip of that tongue sliding up and down your cervix.

The feel of their tongue in such untouched places is so intense, so beyond your experience. You struggle against the invisible force holding you aloft, spread out. The fire within you burns so hot, it’s everywhere. You wail, not sure if you want this to stop, or never end for the rest of your life.

Satan growls, the tongue vibrating along with the noise. “So tight and wet...no wonder my boys love you so much...fuck, I could eat you all day.” And then their tongue starts thrusting, in and out at a rapid pace. Their tail comes up and suddenly starts rubbing your clit, and you are gone. Your orgasm hits you like a freight train, and you shatter, screaming and squirting into Satan’s mouth.

Your orgasm seems to last forever... your screams echo and reverberate until you’re hoarse. Your bottom half convulses against Satan’s face, and their tongue pulls out of you and starts laving your clit, while the tip of their tail slides inside you, and you slam right into a second orgasm, your cries hoarse and wordless.

You have no idea how many times you come under Satan’s careful touches, but by the time they pull their tongue and tail away, you are covered in yourself. Satan sighs happily and materializes a washcloth, cleaning you up as your body twitches and your muscles convulse. 

Meanwhile, the room your body is in is thick with tension. Johannes is pacing; Earth is sitting in the corner with his knees drawn up. Papa is doing his best to stay calm, but it’s not working very well.

“That’s it!” Johannes’s roar startles everyone; Earth falls over. “We’ve waited long enough. I don’t give a good goddamn fuck what you say, Aether, we need to do something. She’s not coming back on her own. We need to go get her.”

Papa hesitates, then nods. “You are right. Aether, let’s get her back. If no one else volunteers to go in, I will, of course.” 

Fire looks to Papa. “You know we have to stay here to feed Aether our energy.” 

Papa winces. “Yes, of course. Forgive me, I am...a little out of it.”

“I’m going in to get her,” Johannes says.

Aether shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s wise. You’ve never done this before.” 

Johannes whirls and pins the ghoul with a death stare. “Try stopping me. That should be interesting.”

“Hey now,” Water says, standing next to Aether. “We’re all worried, Johannes, but there’s no need for threats. We just don’t want to lose you too if something goes wrong.”

Johannes feels a hand take his, and he looks down to see Earth looking up at him, tear tracks still on his face. “Please don’t fight.”

Johannes can feel Earth grounding him through his hand and he huffs. “Sorry. I just....” Another huff. “But I’m still going. I may not have done this before, and I know I’m not a demi-demon, but I’m not a complete idiot.” He points at Fire. “No commentary from the peanut gallery.” Fire shakes his head, palms up in surrender. “Just tell me what to do.”

Papa looks at Johannes, then settles cross-legged on the bed. “The first thing you need to realize is that it’s going to be completely different in there than out here. No one knows what to expect the first time you dive into someone new. You move around by pushing your energy behind you. To pull someone out, you need to convince them to come back. I don’t think that will be hard in this case. They need to move into the, as cliche as it is, light that they should see. Since she’s been cut off from Aether feeling her energy, there may be a wall in front of her exit. You both need to break it down.”

“All right. Sounds straightforward.” Johannes sits down across from Papa, looking at your still form. “So how do I get to her?”

Aether comes up and sits down to the side. “Well, that’s where I come in. I have to send your consciousness into hers.”

Papa nods to the ghoul. “Let’s do this. I want our goddess back.” All the ghouls and Papa get into a pattern around Johannes, and they all put their hands on him. “You’re going to feel our energy in you. Don’t fight it.” They close their eyes and concentrate, and Johannes feels a burning sensation, then a brief feeling of being submerged. A breeze ruffles his hair, and he feels dirt under his feet. Pure energy rushes through him for a split second, followed by an utter darkness that consumes everything, and when he opens his eyes, he’s watching you curl up in Satan’s arms.

Johannes is confused by the scene before him but relieved that he’s seeing you and that you look unharmed. He moves forward, a wary eye on Satan. “Ah sweetness, you make friends wherever you go,” Johannes says as he walks toward you.

“Wow...you sound...like my wolf...my Johannes,” you murmur. You are dazed, still floating in the hazy afterglow of the multi-orgasmic marathon you just survived. You stare at Satan, unfocused, still drifting. “When did you start sounding like my wolf?”

Satan smiles, their tail gently stroking your hair. “My treat, I am not your wolf. You’re hearing him because he’s here.” Their tail moves down to your chin and turns your head, gently, letting you look at Johannes. 

You smile, that dazed look in your eye, your body totally lax. “Hello...look at you...you’re so beautiful...” You giggle slightly, curling deeper into Satan’s arms. “I guess everyone who comes here is naked!” You’d all but forgotten what you were doing before this.

When Johannes gets close enough, he reaches out to you, strokes a finger down your arm. “Hey, sweetness, I came to take you home.” You don’t turn away from him but you don’t quite react the way he expects you to—and he looks at Satan. “What did you do to her?”

Satan smirks faintly. “Nothing bad, I promise, pup. But, you know, getting tongue- and tail-fucked by the Lord of Hell takes it out of mortals. To be honest, I’m impressed she’s still awake after coming about seven times. Or was it nine? I lost count...” And their tongue slides out of their mouth, waggles for a minute, before slurping back in.

Rage rises up in the clown and he opens his mouth to answer ... and in his mind he hears Papa and Aether speak up: “Don’t, clown, don’t respond with anger... that won’t help you ... be smart, be cool ...” 

And Johannes closes his eyes for a second, takes a deep breath, and opens his eyes to stare at Satan. “She’s very impressive, isn’t she? That’s why I came for her.” In his mind he hears Aether say, “Better than being angry ... just stay calm.”

Satan laughs, delighted. “Look at you! Learning how to control that temper of yours!” Cuddling you against their breast with one arm, they reach out and stroke a finger down his hair. “No need to be jealous, pup. I did not take her with this,” and they run a hand down their (rather massive) cock. “If I had, she would be fully gone to you. She will snap out of it in a little while.” Gently they hand you over to him. “When you are back, Papa and Aether will know all I do about conduits. Take care of her, pup, she’s very important to all of you now.” They smirk. “And to me, for the future.” And with that, they’re gone. 

You look up at Johannes and smile softly to him, hands raising to his face. “You look just like my wolf...isn’t that funny?” you say faintly. “Where did Satan go? Aren’t I supposed to go with them?” 

Johannes kisses your forehead. “No, sweetness, you need to go with me.” 

You frown slightly, shake your head. “No-oooo, I can’t go with you. I have to stay here. Satan said Johannes and Papa are coming for me, so I have to stay...if I go with you, they won’t be able to find me...I have to wait here...” 

“I’m already here, sweetness. And Papa is waiting for you. Earth and Fire, all the ghouls are waiting for you, baby girl.” He is at a loss, not sure what to do. “Sweetness, you’ve got to come back to me.” And he leans over and captures your mouth in a deep kiss.

Your eyes widen. This person is kissing you, this person who just appeared is...but...wait...this kiss feels familiar. Very familiar and very nice. You slowly relax into his kiss, and when you pull away you murmur, “You kiss like my wolf...and you smell like him too... Are you really my wolf?” You look up into his face, searching his eyes.

Johannes’s smile is wide, and he touches your forehead with his own. “Yes, I’m really your wolf.” He kisses you again, lingers on your lips. “You believe me?”

You kiss him back, and this time when you open your eyes most of the haze is gone. “Johannes.” And then you panic. “I-I’m so sorry, Johannes, it was Satan and they had that tongue and it was really hot and...” You babble, so scared that he’d be mad at you.

He chuckles and kisses you again, quieting your babble. “Shhh, sweetness, shhh. It’s ok, it’s ok. I imagine that tongue would have had me turned inside out too.” Your gazes lock. “Damn you look good, sweetness. I was so afraid...”

“I’m sorry I worried you. Satan said that I got overloaded. I guess my own mind pulled me in here.” You frown, looking up at him. “Is this going to happen every time I touch all of them at once?” You look so worried, biting your lip, fingers curling against his skin.

“I don’t know, sweetness.” Johannes frowns. “I hope not because I think I speak for everybody when I say watching you take on all of us was the hottest shit we ever saw.” He kisses you again, didn’t think he could ever stop kissing you, really. “But Satan said something about Papa and Aether knowing everything he knows, so maybe they’ll figure it out. But…” Johannes looks around. “But first we gotta get back. Papa said something about a light. Do you see a light, sweetness?”

You blink, looking around. “I...I don’t...turn so I can see behind?” He does so and you blink again. “There! It’s that way!” Your limbs flail, admittedly in a rather adorable way, trying to move yourself toward the light but not getting anywhere except almost hitting Johannes in the face. You have had no practice in moving your own energy, and so have no idea how to move yourself here.

“Whoa!” He ducks out of the way. “Let me...ahhh...handle the moving, how about it?” 

You giggle, still feeling a little woozy. “OK. Mush, my wolf!”

Johannes chuckles. “You’re lucky you’re adorable, you brat,” he says as he moves the both of you in the direction you indicated.

You giggle again and wrap your arms around his neck as you slowly move through the air. “Oh Johannes...you should have seen Satan fucking me...their tongue was so...” You mewl and stretch against him.

“Is that so? Well, I hope you’re still ok with mine.” He sticks his tongue out and shakes it like he does on stage. “I mean, it’s nothing like ol’ Satan’s, but it’ll do, right?”

You watch him with wide eyes, then you grin and lean up, sliding his tongue into your mouth. You slide yours against his, moaning into his mouth before pulling away. A strand of saliva connects your two tongues, and you smile to him. “Of course I still love yours, my wolf.”

“Good. Then you won’t mind if I use it on you every chance I get.” He winks then looks around. “Almost there, I think.”

You gulp slightly at his threat, and then look around. There is a...well, it looks like a brick wall, if bricks were made out of different colors of swirling energy. You frown, looking at it. “...My mind did this?”

Johannes frowns. “Yes, sweetness, I think your mind went all out on this one...” 

“So...what do we do? That light is on the other side of the wall.” 

You still sound hazy and out of it, and Johannes is starting to feel a twinge of ... not fear, but definitely uncertainty. “Well, your mind built this thing, so you’re gonna have to break it down.”

You blink, cocking your head slightly at it, and after a minute you simply say, “Break.” Nothing happens, and you frown. “Please break?” One of the red bricks spurts a tiny bit of flame, as if it were laughing at you, and you scowl. “Break the fuck down, you motherfucking piece of fucking shit wall!” Still nothing, and you struggle to get a hold of your frustration.

You look at Johannes, who is practically purple with the effort of not laughing. “Don’t you laugh, dammit,” you say. “Don’t you dare.” 

He coughs, hard, and adjusts his grip on you, using that moment to try to compose himself. “Sweetness, it’s gonna take a little more than that to break this down, although I wish it would be easier.”

You look at the wall, then sigh and close your eyes. You try to just feel, letting yourself open up. You aren’t sure how this works, but...hold on, what’s that? You feel...something. It’s swirling and...bright, if bright could be a feeling. You pull yourself toward it, and abruptly your “body” begins to glow in Johannes’s arms. You yelp in surprise and the feeling drops, and you stop glowing. You look up at Johannes and whisper, “The fuck?!”

“It’s ok...” He studies the wall, closes his eyes, consults with Aether. Then, “I think it’s going to be different for you because you’re ... different.” He kisses your forehead. “This wall is basically you ... it’s made from your energy. So I think, when you opened yourself up, you naturally connected. Your separated energy wants to be together. Make sense?” 

You frown. “Sort of...” 

“So you need to bring the wall back to you, rather than let the wall pull you. Mentally bring the bricks of energy to you, and let your body suck ‘em up.”

You nod, and let yourself open again. You ignore your glowing skin and lift your hand, willing the wall to come to you. At first, nothing happens, and you grit your teeth and push harder. Slowly, slowly, one of the tan-colored bricks breaks off from the wall and comes to your hand. It touches your outstretched fingers and disappears, and you gasp as you feel the new energy flow through you. You will even harder, and it’s like a levy breaks: the wall shatters into individual bricks that all shoot to your hand at once, disappearing by the dozens.

“That’s my girl!” Johannes says as you smile, looking dazedly at your hands.

“That...was...wild! I feel like a superhero!” You giggle. Then you hear voices... “Is that... ?” 

Johannes grins. “Yes it is. Now that the wall is gone, the ghouls and Papa can feel your energy and contact you again. When we couldn’t reach you....” He shakes his head. “But we can now. So come on, let’s move into this light and get back where we belong...I know some guys who want to say hello.” You beam at him, tears in your eyes, and you kiss him deeply as you go into the light together.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which more answers come to light ... and a king's ire rises ...

_"The bathrooms? Down this hall, to the right, down two flights of stairs, then two lefts, hun. Hey, you, stop fuckin' pushing people, ya dick!" the security girl yells as she gently scoots you through a door behind her. The door closes at her back, leaving you alone in the hallway, and so you miss the girl's eyes flash brightly for a second as a smug grin curls her lips, before the look is gone. You blink, trying hard to keep her directions in mind, and you set off down the hall, your bladder screaming at you._

_You hurry down the hall, then come to an intersection, and after a brief hesitation you turn left. After a few minutes you stop. "Wait, what did she say? Down the hall, turn left...or right? Weren't there supposed to be stairs?" you mumble to yourself. "Dammit, I really need to freaking pee..."_

_You hesitate a second longer, but a painful pang from your bladder has you scurrying down the left-hand side. The hall curves to the right, and you come to a door. You open it, stepping through, and find yourself in some sort of loading dock—and it is empty. But you don't really care because down the stairs and across the floor, you see signs for a bathroom. You're all but sprinting to the door at this point, and you make it just in time. You wash your hands and come out, and to your shock you see that the place suddenly has eleven people in it. Wait...no, they’re not all people. Those are...wolves. The biggest you’ve ever seen in your life, and standing in the middle of them is Jonas Jarlsby. Facing off with them is...well, their outfits are from Ghost, but...all the Nameless Ghouls have horns. Fire has literal fire around his hands. And Papa Emeritus is… "...What the fuck?" you say weakly._

_No one takes notice of you at first, and you press up against the wall, staring incredulously as the wolves growl and howl, snapping their jaws at the ghouls, who snarl in return. An enormous black wolf suddenly leaps, and Fire moves, flames shooting from his hand...the wolf slams into the ghoul, his hand flies out, and flames hit the bathroom door next to you, and you scream in shock and fear ... Every head, both shaggy and horned, turns in your direction. "Shit."_

_You don't get to see any more, because your vision goes black. Air Ghoul is there instantly, catching your unconscious form right as it falls to the floor. He moves you right as a wolf's jaws snap closed where your ankle had been a moment before, and the ghouls and Papa all suddenly disappear. Kungen snarls and roars, "FIND THEM!"_

Your eyes blink open, staring at the ceiling, and then Papa’s beautiful face is hovering above you. Tears start obscuring your vision as you whisper, “Papa...” And he’s kissing you, gathering you in his arms and holding you to him as if you might disappear right then. Fire and Water let out a giant sigh of relief, and Aether claps Johannes on the back. “Well done!” You start to cry, and bury your face in Papa’s neck. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, any of you, I’m so sorry,” but Papa just holds you even tighter, rocks you gently, and merely shushes you, trying to hold back his own tears. Slowly, you pull away, smiling tearfully up at him, and then you yelp as Earth barrels full into you, lying on top of you and sobbing into your neck. He’s saying something, but the words are too choked with tears to make out, and you hug him tight, murmuring apologies and rubbing his back soothingly. 

____Johannes pats Earth’s shoulder. “Come on, little dude, let her breathe.” Earth just shakes his head, buries himself more tightly against you, and shudders._ _ _ _

____“It’s ok, my love, I don’t mind,” you say quietly. You reach an arm out, beckoning, and Fire and Water crowd in, lying next to you as best they can around Earth.  
Your arms wrap around all of them as much as possible. You press your lips to Fire’s forehead, then Water’s, then the top of Earth’s head. “I’m so sorry, everyone...I didn’t mean to worry you.” _ _ _ _

____Air smiles faintly, smoothing a hand over your hair. “You don’t have to apologize. It wasn’t like you chose to get stuck inside your mind.”_ _ _ _

____Air’s deep voice makes you reach for him. “Air…you...you saved my life…”_ _ _ _

____He stares at you as if trying to figure out whether you’ve lost your senses. “No, little one, it was the wolf who--”_ _ _ _

____“That night...the night I saw... all of you… You saved me.”_ _ _ _

____Papa’s eyes widen. “My love, you remember?”_ _ _ _

____Aether smiles as you kiss Air softly. “It makes sense. Cleaning out her own mind like that would make any memory blocks disappear.”_ _ _ _

____The dark pope nods, putting his hand on your leg. “Are you all right, my love?”_ _ _ _

____You hesitate, then smile sadly. “I mean...I wish you all could be friends...but for the most part, yes, I’m all right.”_ _ _ _

____Fire buries his face in your neck. “I’m so sorry, love. I didn’t mean to throw those flames your way, you know that, right?”_ _ _ _

____“Of course, you couldn’t have helped it. It’s all right, Fire,” you reassure him, pressing your cheek against his head. You look to Johannes as you stroke Fire’s hair. “Which one was the wolf that almost got me?”_ _ _ _

____Johannes is quiet for a moment, and then he sighs. “It was John…” You look down, and he leans over and kisses your temple reassuringly. “But how do you know that? You were unconscious.”_ _ _ _

____You sigh softly, leaning into Johannes’s kiss. “I think maybe Satan added some things, so that I’d know what happened after I passed out…” Then your eyes widen as you remember what just happened moments ago, and you turn crimson. “Speaking of which...I met Satan in there...”_ _ _ _

____Papa splutters. “You what?! How did—” But before he could finish his sentence both his, and Aether’s, eyes go pure white, and a leviathan cross suddenly blazes white on their foreheads, and you know that Satan must be imparting that knowledge to them._ _ _ _

____After a few moments, the crosses fade, and Aether’s and Papa’s eyes return to their normal colors, and they both stare at you, looking more than a little surprised. Aether shakes his head. “Well, at least now we have more information than we had before… That should help us avoid issues like the overload.”_ _ _ _

____“Satan is...well...interesting...” you hedge nervously._ _ _ _

____Papa stares at you, cupping your cheek as best he can while Earth is still on top of you. “They did not hurt you, did they?” You blush darkly, and he chuckles, relaxing. “Ah. I bet that was a ride. And I’m sure she was in a fit state when you got there, Johannes.”_ _ _ _

____Johannes chuckled. “She was riding high, that’s for sure.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m so sorry, Papa,” you say, your blush deepening. “Please don’t be mad at me.”_ _ _ _

____Papa chuckles and kisses your forehead. “I’m not mad, my love. I would have been shocked if you’d resisted them.” He sighs and looks to Aether. “Well, would you like to start, my friend? We all should know.”_ _ _ _

____Aether nods. “And I suppose we should start with what just happened, so we all understand.”_ _ _ _

____“Yes,” you say, struggling to move. “Earth, baby, you gotta let me sit up... Satan said I overloaded when I touched all of you...so does that mean I can’t ever....?”_ _ _ _

____“Not exactly,” Aether says. “We could all hold hands in a circle, or all touch your arm and be fine. It was all of us making a sexual connection at the same time that caused the energy overload. You, my darling girl, are going to need to learn how to manipulate energies before we can do that again.”_ _ _ _

____You swallow, managing to sit up with Earth still against you, whimpering in protest at being moved. “Is that very hard?”_ _ _ _

____Water nuzzles your shoulder. “It may be for someone your age. It’s easier as a child. But you broke down that wall pretty easily!” The ghoul beams at you, proud._ _ _ _

____You mock frown at the cheerful man. “Are you calling me old?” Water backpedals, panicking, and you laugh and kiss him. “I’m just messing with you, it’s okay!”_ _ _ _

____Everyone laughs, but Aether continues, “It’s not just the energy manipulation you’re going to have to learn. You’re going to have to learn to control the nature of the conduit.”_ _ _ _

____You frown. “Are you telling me I have to... control myself?”_ _ _ _

____“In a way,” Aether says as he sits down near you, taking in the other ghouls and how they are touching you. He contents himself with covering your hand with his. “As energies build up, especially during sex, the nature of the conduit is going to demand more energy. Do you remember, right before that bomb of an orgasm, how you were searching for everyone, asking for everyone?” You nod, blushing furiously. “Energy feeds on energy, and the nature of the conduit was just doing what it does ... getting more energy. You can learn to control that nature ... so that you’re directing things rather than it directing you. Between that, and learning to manipulate the energies so that you’re not overloading, you should be able to...indulge however you want.” He smiles, a hint of seduction in his eyes._ _ _ _

____You lean forward, kissing him softly, before pulling away. “Thank you, Aether.” You sigh, leaning your chin on the top of Earth’s head. “Guess I have a lot to learn...”_ _ _ _

____“Yes, and the sooner the better.” Papa captures your attention again. “If we all remember, we’re leaving in just over a day. I’d like you to have at least a rudimentary grasp of how to control your energy before we go on tour.”_ _ _ _

____The ghouls all blink at Papa, but it is Fire who speaks up. “She’s coming with us?”_ _ _ _

____Papa nods to him. “She and Johannes both. He will keep her safe. I...would not be parted with her for so long. With either of them.” He looks at you both, capturing your eyes for a brief moment. “Especially after what happened tonight.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh thank Satan,” Aether breathes as the rest of the ghouls give their enthusiastic approval of the plan. At Papa’s amused look, Aether says, “Just the thought of not having her nearby, so that we know she’s safe, was scaring the living shit out of me.”_ _ _ _

____Johannes chuckles. “I think I’m rubbing off on your ghouls, Papa.”_ _ _ _

____You grin, and you can’t help but say, “No, you rubbed off on Papa.” There’s a pause, and then everyone bursts out laughing. Even Earth giggles against your chest, and the sound of everyone laughing together, naked on this giant bed, makes you tear up through your laughter._ _ _ _

____A couple of your tears drip down onto Earth, and he looks up, loosening his grip on you for the first time since your return. “Why are you crying? I thought...everything’s good. Isn’t it?”_ _ _ _

____You nod, tears starting to really fall now. “It is, Earth, everything is good. I just... I don’t understand how this happened but I love you all so much,” you say on a sob._ _ _ _

____Fire smiles softly and snuggles back in under your arm. “We love you too...”_ _ _ _

____Water gets back under your other arm and presses a kiss to your neck. “You’ve brought so much joy here...we can’t thank you enough for that.” Air gets behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, and though he doesn’t say anything his warmth seeps into your back, relaxing you._ _ _ _

____Papa comes over, gently detaching Earth from your chest and taking his place. His thumbs wipe your tears away, oh so gently, and he whispers, “It’s okay, my love, my precious goddess...you’re home...”_ _ _ _

____“I am. I really am home. You are my home,” you say, kissing him. “I’m never going to be able to leave you.” You search out Johannes, who is right behind Papa, and he leans in so you can kiss him too. “Either of you. Any of you. Oh my gods, please don’t let me go.”_ _ _ _

____“We won’t, ghuleh. You’re ours, and we’re yours.” You sigh softly into his neck, eyes closing, beginning to fall asleep._ _ _ _

____“No, you need to stay up,” Water says, gently tapping your face. “We need to go to the training room to start learning!”_ _ _ _

____Johannes groans. “I hope to hell you’re not serious, man, because she looks like she could sleep for a year. I know I am wiped the fuck out.”_ _ _ _

____Papa sighs. “Johannes, you and I have had a lifetime of learning to control our energy until our focus is razor sharp. She’s done it once. She needs to learn how to use it at least a little bit before we leave, otherwise...what if this kind of thing happens on tour? What if it happens while we’re all on stage? We cannot exactly stop the show.” Papa smooths a hand over Johannes’s head. “We will have her practice for two hours tonight and then she may sleep. Can you do that, my ghuleh?” He’s still looking at Johannes, so when you don’t answer he blinks and looks over, and you’re already asleep. “...Well, perhaps she can...take a nap then...”_ _ _ _

____Johannes chuckles. “Guess that argument’s settled.” At Papa’s frown, Johannes says, “She won’t practice well if she’s too tired, you know that. Maybe we should all take a nap...rest is only going to help.”_ _ _ _

____The dark pope hesitates, but then a yawn betrays him, and he grumbles. Fire laughs and pats Papa’s cheek. “You know you get grumpy if you don’t get a lot of sleep.”_ _ _ _

____Papa fixes the ghoul with a withering look, but sighs. “All right then, let’s fucking nap. But then we get her fed and work her all tomorrow.” Snickers accompany that proclamation, and Papa sighs. “I shall stop bothering.”_ _ _ _

____Johannes carefully pulls you away from Papa and lays you down, snugging up behind you and wrapping one arm around your waist. Aether pulls sheet and blanket over you and Johannes and gestures at Papa. “Earth isn’t going to leave the room until he’s reassured himself that these two aren’t leaving again, so he will stay here for the balance...the rest of us will go take care of other things and be ready when you wake up.”_ _ _ _

____Papa nods to him. “Thank you, my friend. But make sure you all get some rest as well.” The ghouls all nod and with the exception of Earth, who curls up at your head and settles his cheek gently against your hair, the others leave. Papa cuddles up to your front and snaps his fingers, and the lights go out. He sighs into your skin, one hand lacing with yours and the other wrapping around Johannes’s wrist, and then he is asleep._ _ _ _

____\--_ _ _ _

____Many many miles away, in a large stone and metal castle in the middle of a pristine green land, a man dressed in the black uniform required by his standing in court approaches the throne room. Another similarly dressed man stands at the door and nods. “Glory to our King, John.”_ _ _ _

____“Glory to our King indeed, Henrik. I was summoned. Is our King ready for me?”_ _ _ _

____Henrik nods again. “Go ahead.”_ _ _ _

____John enters the throne room, walks quickly to the throne and immediately gets down on one knee. “My King.”_ _ _ _

____Imperious in full regalia, the king looks down at his spymaster and nods to him. “John. What have you found for me? What has taken my assassin so long?” He stands, scowling and pacing before the throne. “She is one mortal woman. I do not understand why this was so hard for him.”_ _ _ _

____John stands, but keeps his head bowed. “My information is...alarming, my King. The woman still lives. She has become the personal favored of Papa Emeritus and his ghouls ... and I have reason to believe that our Johannes is now ... protecting her.”_ _ _ _

____The king stops in his tracks, shock written in each line of his body. “...That is...I know how well you work, but are you sure?!” He whirls, and rage is in his eyes. “Johannes...I’ve put too much work into him, making him into...well, you know what he is. He can’t...” He stops, then suddenly lunges, grabs a nearby vase and throws it against the wall, where it shatters._ _ _ _

____The spymaster moves as if to stop his sovereign, but the rage in the king’s face makes John step back quickly, and he kneels again. “I can’t be completely sure,” John speaks quickly and quietly. “No one was able to verify his presence, but all indications are that he infiltrated the church and hasn’t left it. No one I spoke to saw him, but I heard one conversation between two sisters, about the ‘wild tall stranger’ who recently arrived, has rarely been seen, and has not been out of sight of either the Emeritus or the woman. The description sounded like our Johannes.” John swallows. “The church has also increased its security in the last two days, which is highly unusual.”_ _ _ _

____Closing his eyes, the king fights to keep from shape-changing. He knows he’ll destroy the entire throne room if he does. But his anger gets the best of him and he feels his fingertips start to lengthen, and sharpen. Quickly he stands, striding to the door in the back of the room, motioning for the other man to follow. They go into the king’s chambers, where he consults a calendar. “They go back on tour tomorrow. What do you think will happen: this woman and Johannes will go with them, or they’ll stay at the church?”_ _ _ _

____John hesitates, knowing he risks further angering his king. “I don’t have enough information to say for sure. At this point, the best I can say is it’s a toss of the coin. The security could very well have been increased because the woman is staying there while the tour is on the move. But if the woman and Johannes haven’t left the Emeritus’s side in the time they have been there, that could indicate that they are going on the tour. I just don’t know for sure.”_ _ _ _

____“Don’t know for sure? Don’t know for sure??” The king turns, scales appearing around his eyes, whose pupils narrow into slits. “What kind of spymaster are you then? Fucking find out for sure!” John hesitates again and the king roars, “NOW!” Once the other man is gone, he turns back to the table and places his hands on it. A moment passes, and then he roars and sweeps everything off his desk in a fit of rage. Glass shatters on the floor, papers fall everywhere, and the king’s chest heaves as he fights against changing shape still. Fur sprouts in patches on his skin, feathers form in his dreadlocks; at one point talons the size of knives erupt from his boots._ _ _ _

____There’s a knock at the chamber door, and Henrik stands at the doorway. “My King?”_ _ _ _

____Kungen roars again. ”Get out! Guard the chamber doors as you were ordered!”_ _ _ _

____Henrik, shaken, gives the barest minimum of a bow and backs out of the room quickly, returning to the outer doors, where John is still standing, recovering from his encounter with the enraged king. The two men stare at each other for long moments, then Henrik finally says, “John, is there any chance that you’re wrong? Johannes is the last person I would accuse of treason.” The bodyguard thinks back to a fateful night long years ago... “He saved my life.”_ _ _ _

____“I know he did. He’s saved mine too.” His gaze is solemn, filling Henrik with dread. “But the woman isn’t dead. He hasn’t left the church. He hasn’t returned. Sisters of Sin are talking about him. When have my spies ever given us bad intel?” They haven’t, and Henrik knows that._ _ _ _

____The air hangs heavy for a moment, before John murmurs, “I just don’t understand what the hell happened in that damn church...”_ _ _ _

____Henrik says nothing, but his mind races with unanswered questions. For the sake of the kingdom...for the sake of his friends...he hopes that John’s information is wrong._ _ _ _

____John looks at Henrik, sees his internal worry, and tries for a smile. He puts a hand on his shoulder. “It will work out, my friend. We’ll figure it out.” The two men salute each other, and John heads out while Henrik stands guard, neither thinking good thoughts._ _ _ _

____\--_ _ _ _

____The scene in Papa’s room can’t be more different. No hint of rage or concern is anywhere. Peace flows through the room, and the four figures sleeping in the bed are all holding one another, a beautiful sight. One stirs for a moment, the smaller man at the head of them all; he gently touches the face of the sleeping woman as if reassuring himself she is still there, before falling back asleep._ _ _ _

____You are dreaming...a long black tail is wrapped around you, the tip plunging in and out of you, a musical voice echoing all around, “You’ll come back to me and you will never leave...”_ _ _ _

____Papa wakes up as he feels your hips rolling suddenly. He smirks, a dark lust entering his eyes as he realizes what you must be dreaming about. Slowly, gently so he doesn’t wake anyone, he slips down, spreading your legs and settling between them, bending his mouth to you and laving your clit with his tongue._ _ _ _

____In your dream the tail becomes a long, sinuous tongue that slides along your folds before wrapping itself around your clit. “I will have you again...I am your destiny...”_ _ _ _

____You cry out in your sleep, startling Earth and Johannes awake. “Goddess? What--?”_ _ _ _

____“Shh!” Papa raises his head, and his eyes are both shining white, and a smirk even more devious than his usual is curling his lips, before he bends back to his task. His lips gently suckle your clit, growling softly as your hips roll again._ _ _ _

____Johannes groans softly as he watches Papa work, relishing in the way his tongue moves around your clit, the way your hips push your cunt into his face. Still behind you, he gently lifts your leg, lets it rest along his own, allowing his rock-hard cock to slide along your folds in time with Papa’s movements._ _ _ _

____“J-Johannes, P-Papa’s eyes...y-you know he’s possessed right now, right?” Earth whispers, worried about what’s going on. He wonders if he should wake you, but he doesn’t think Papa/Satan will let him._ _ _ _

____Johannes hears Earth’s words, but they are muffled, like they’re coming from far away, and the clown vaguely realizes he isn’t in total control of what his body is doing, but he can’t stop the thrusting of his hips, the slide of his cock._ _ _ _

____Earth panics, and he closes his eyes, intending to summon his fellow ghouls. But a voice slides into his mind, silky smooth, but also compassionate. “Earth...little ghoul...you will not interfere. I am marking this conduit as mine, and putting her under my protection. Trust me, she’ll need it. Go back to sleep, kind one...go back to sleep...” The little ghoul’s eyes flutter, and he falls to the side, but an unseen force catches him and gently lays him down._ _ _ _

____Meanwhile, you’re still wrapped in your dream. The tongue flickers on your clit as the tail returns and slowly slides into your dripping cunt, your moan almost guttural as the tail goes deep, deeper, as deep as it can go._ _ _ _

____Your hips roll in real life as Johannes’s cock slides deep inside you. Papa never lets up on your clit, his talented tongue swirling and slurping on you, his nails digging into your thighs. All he wants is for you to come and come and come..._ _ _ _

____Johannes thrusts over and over, and he brings one hand around to your breast, begins plucking and rolling the nipple between his long fingers._ _ _ _

____Your voice raises in a scream as you come, but the scream is musical, a vibrato you don’t normally have filling Papa’s room with beautiful sound. Just above your mound, right over your heart, and on your forehead, a leviathan cross with a pentagram behind it blazes white. Papa and Johannes both cry out and come, and then everything is silent, and you all sleep on peacefully. The markings on your skin fade to nothing._ _ _ _

____In your dream, the tongue and the tail wrap around you and then seem to melt into your skin. “I am within you always,” the musical voice intones. “I am always there. And one day you will always be with me...” and the dream fades, leaving you sleeping dreamlessly._ _ _ _

____Not too much later, Papa’s alarm, blaring “Mummy Dust,” goes off, and Papa jumps, a little disoriented. He shuts the alarm off, rubbing bleary eyes, then looks down at himself. “...Why is my lower half covered in my own jizz?” He blinks again as Johannes never had pulled out. “Clown, why are you inside her?”_ _ _ _

____Johannes yawns, then his eyes open wide. “What... Did we... Did I miss something?” he asks as he pulls out of you. “How did I miss that?”_ _ _ _

____You blink. “Did...did we fuck in our sleep? Is that possible?”_ _ _ _

____Papa frowns. “Well, there is a disorder called sexsomnia that’s been documented. But I do not have it. What about you, Johannes?” Earth was glancing between you all, looking a little lost, feeling as if he was forgetting something._ _ _ _

____“I’ve never even heard of it, man, I really don’t think I have it.” Johannes rolls over and looks at Earth, sees the expression on his face. “You ok, little dude? Do you have any idea what happened?”_ _ _ _

____“I...” He looks at Johannes and shifts toward him a little. “I feel like I’ve forgotten something. But I have no idea what it could be...”_ _ _ _

____Papa frowns, then his eyes widen and he turns to you, placing a hand over your heart and pumping a shot of his energy into you. The marks Satan put on you blaze white, and Papa scowls. “Satan possessed us.”_ _ _ _

____“Possessed...?” You struggle to sit up, bewildered. “Are you serious? Why... why would they do that? And what are those marks on me? I don’t understand.”_ _ _ _

____“Join the club, sweetness,” Johannes grumbles._ _ _ _

____“Maybe we should get Aether in here, Papa,” Earth suggests softly. “He could probably tell us exactly what this energy is.” Papa nods and closes his eyes, and within moments Aether is standing in the room._ _ _ _

____Aether takes in the scene before him and frowns. “Well...that’s unexpected.” He looks at you. “My darling girl, you must have made quite the impression on the Divine Discord. They are not known for marking humans like this...they usually let humans come to them through their own deeds and desires.”_ _ _ _

____You swallow. “What...what are these for? It’s not...it won’t hurt me, right?”_ _ _ _

____Papa caresses your thigh soothingly. “No, these won’t hurt you. If I remember correctly, they are protective seals. You cannot be affected by anything magical unless it’s from one of us, who share in Satan’s power.”_ _ _ _

____Johannes runs his hand up the line of your back. “That actually makes me feel a little better...the more protections you have while we are on the road, the happier I am.”_ _ _ _

____“I guess,” you say, enjoying the feel of Papa’s and Johannes’s hands on your skin. “I still don’t like that we had sex without realizing it. It makes me feel all...weirded out. Plus, it’s not fair to come and not remember enjoying it.” You pout._ _ _ _

____Earth hugs you from behind as Papa laughs. “Do not worry, my love. We will make you come plenty later.” His gaze darkens. “So long as you impress us with training that is. Otherwise we might have to punish you...” You shiver hard at his tone, and Earth hugs you tighter as if he’s afraid you’ll be hurt._ _ _ _

____“I don’t know, Papa,” Johannes says, watching your reaction with a raised brow as he licks his lips. “She might be a brat and work her way into punishment on purpose. Not that I would mind, of course.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, you’d love that, my wolf.” Your gaze firms. “But this training is important and I’m going to do my best!” You hear a tiny, “You tell them!” from behind you and you grin faintly._ _ _ _

____Papa laughs, low and dangerous. “Well, my dear, I hope you mean to live up to that. Because today will not be easy. Get up, get washed, and eat. Training starts in an hour.” You glance at the clock and only just realize that it’s six in the morning._ _ _ _

____Three hours later you are bent over at the waist, hands on your knees, sweat beading your forehead and dripping down your sides and back. “Fuck.” Your breathing comes in harsh pants. Your head is pounding. “Fuck. Me. Running.”_ _ _ _

____Johannes, Papa, and Aether are standing around you, arms crossed, all of them with varying expressions of amusement, exasperation, and concern. “You need to try again, ghuleh,” Papa says, trying for a patient tone and not quite making it._ _ _ _

____“Yes well, fuck that,” you say as you straighten. “Fuck that right off.”_ _ _ _

____Johannes just grins; he enjoys your temper tantrums. But Aether casts a quick glance at Papa’s darkening expression, and steps in. “Try it again, darling girl, then—”_ _ _ _

____“Did I stutter?” You put your hands on your head, rubbing your temples. “I am fairly certain I said fuck right off.”_ _ _ _

____Papa scowls. “You need to cut out the temper tantrums, little girl.” Your head snaps up angrily, and a flicker of something in your eyes makes his own widen. He smirks, bracing himself. “What is wrong, child, you don’t like being called a little girl? Well, perhaps if you stepped up and actually tried—” You feel something shift in your head, and you roar wordlessly as a blast of energy knocks Papa back ten feet onto his ass. The breath gets knocked from his lungs, and he lies there gasping._ _ _ _

____The rage fades into shame and guilt instantly, and you rush over. “Oh fuck, Papa, I’m so sorry, are you okay?!”_ _ _ _

____Johannes and Aether are also right at Papa’s side, Aether offering him a hand to sit up and then stand. “That was...not bad at all, sweetness,” Johannes says. “I might even pay good money to watch you do that again.”_ _ _ _

____You flick Johannes on the cheek. “Be nice, mutt!” You hug Papa, nuzzling into his neck softly, murmuring apologies into his skin._ _ _ _

____Papa chuckles softly, stroking your hair. “My love, stop apologizing. This is what you’re training for after all. That was a very good hit. I am just sorry it took those words to do it.”_ _ _ _

____It takes a few seconds for his words to sink in, then you glare and give him a shove. “You said that shit to me on purpose! Jerk...you deserved the hit then.” You back away and stand up, shooting both Aether and Johannes pissed-off looks._ _ _ _

____Papa has the nerve to not even stumble back, and he sighs patiently. “Yes, my love, I did say that to you on purpose, and I wish I didn’t have to. But anger seems to bring out your abilities. Look what you did with it. And now, hopefully, you remember what your energy feels like. Do you?” You are still frowning, but you are able to grasp onto your power now, and you nod, but it’s very grudging. He has the grace not to look smug._ _ _ _

____Your anger drives you to practice a little longer, and you’re having slightly more success than failure, but soon your headache can’t be denied, and after one particularly rough volley, you sink to your knees. “I just can’t...my head is killing me.”_ _ _ _

____Papa smiles ruefully. “I remember those headaches when I was training. They are awful. Let’s take a break. Aether, will you get Water in here? He knows how to take those headaches away, right?” You watch as the ghoul nods and blinks out of the room, and then you close your eyes against the light, whimpering as another lance of pain stabs you._ _ _ _

____You bend over until your head meets your knees and sit there curled up on yourself, eyes tight shut. You feel a hand on the back of your neck and you whimper, “Please be gentle, Johannes, even my hair hurts.”_ _ _ _

____“How did you know it was me, sweetness?”_ _ _ _

____“Umm, you’re touching my neck.”_ _ _ _

____“Actually, I’m not.” You still. “That’s right, I’m not. You’re sensing my energy and recognizing me through that. What do I feel like?”_ _ _ _

____Through the pain, you reach out mentally. “You feel...buzzy and hot. So hot.”_ _ _ _

____Papa chuckles, then walks over, and you feel another touch to your cheek. This time you recognize it for what it is. “How about me, my ghuleh? What do I feel like?”_ _ _ _

____You reach out again, ignoring the blanket of pain over your entire skull and neck. “You...you feel cool and still, but so dark. You’re like a bottomless lake on a moonless, starless night...” You pick up another stream of energy -- it feels like a slice of electricity. “Is that Aether who just came in?” you ask._ _ _ _

____“It is,” Johannes said._ _ _ _

____Aether’s eyes widen. “She’s recognizing our energy trails? That’s a tremendous leap forward ... she’ll be better able to shift energy from person to person.” Then he looks at you, still curled in on yourself, still in pain. “She needs to learn to shield though.”_ _ _ _

____You blink up at him painfully. “W-What do you mean, shield? I-Is this why I’m in so much pain?”_ _ _ _

____Papa nods, sitting down and actually rubbing your neck softly. “All the energies from everyone around you are pouring into your head right now. And all that accumulation will hurt like fuck until you shield out what you don’t want.”_ _ _ _

____“Fuck. Why is there so much to fucking learn?” you moan._ _ _ _

____“Shielding isn’t hard to do though, compared to everything else you’re learning, sweetness. It’s just a matter of visualizing a door and then shutting it when you want to block the streams.” Johannes begins to rub your back as Water materializes in the training room._ _ _ _

____Water scuttles over quickly and puts his hands on your head, and you feel a cooling sensation trickle from the top of your skull to the base of your neck, soothing away the pain almost instantly. “Good luck, call me if you need more, bye!” And he was gone. You blink, then grin fondly, the energetic ghoul endearing._ _ _ _

____“Now,” Papa said, clapping his hands. “Let’s work on shielding. We’re going to try to invade your mind with our energy. You have to try to keep it out.”_ _ _ _

____“When did you become a slave driver?” you grumble as you straighten up, still rubbing your temples._ _ _ _

____Papa scowls again. “Since we leave tomorrow and you’ve barely learned anything yet! Do you think this is a game?!” He paces away for a minute, then motions for Johannes to come over. “She’s not fucking taking this seriously. Do you think you can scare her into understanding the consequences? I don’t know how else to make her see at this point.”_ _ _ _

____“Well, yeah, I can...but I think she’s kind of got a point, my man.”_ _ _ _

____“Excuse me?” Papa’s glare could melt steel._ _ _ _

____“No one knows better than me what we are all up against here, and I think I’ve made it pretty clear how fucking scared I am,” Johannes says, holding up his hands. “But you aren’t going to do her any favors if you drive her so hard that her brain breaks.”_ _ _ _

____“She has less than a day before we leave. She needs to be able to block energy at the very least!” He gets right up to Johannes, though with the height difference it was a bit laughable. “I thought you want her safe. She needs to learn these things, or worse than Satan will get to her.”_ _ _ _

____“Fuck yes, I want her safe. The very thought of something happening to her sends me to my fucking knees.” Johannes leans in to Papa. “But I also want her whole. Fucking Christ, man. The other day you jumped on my shit about her eating. Now you’re totally ok with pushing her mentally with no breaks. That headache of hers? That’s her mind telling us it needs a few minutes to regroup. But go ahead, keep pushing her until she cracks. See how that works for you.”_ _ _ _

____Papa slumps, pressing his forehead to the taller man’s chest. “What else am I supposed to do? This is how I was trained. I...I can’t let her be vulnerable...”_ _ _ _

____Johannes cups the back of Papa’s head with one hand, embracing him, pulling him in closer. “I know that’s how you learned...it’s how I learned too. But we’re also not precisely...human. And she is. There’s no way she’ll get this all in one day ... you try to make her, and she’ll break. You’ve got to let her rest in between, give her a chance to be silly, or pissy, or whatever, let her brain chill.” The clown kisses the top of Papa’s head. “She’s already sensing everyone’s energy patterns—Aether’s right, that’s huge. Let’s take a break, let her relax a bit, then we’ll work on shielding.” He makes Papa look at him, then kisses him deeply. “We won’t let her be vulnerable. We won’t. But we aren’t gonna break her either.”_ _ _ _

____Papa nods, taking a deep breath after the soothing kiss. Then he turns back to you, head bowed. “I am sorry, ghuleh. I...we will take an hour’s break, all right? Do you need anything?” He wrings his hands a little, and it’s so weird to see him so contrite. You almost forget to be cross._ _ _ _

____“Just...just water. And...and a walk outside. If that’s all right.” Your gaze moves from Papa to Aether to Johannes, then back to Papa again. “I’m sorry I’m not picking this up as fast as you want me to. But I really am trying.” You turn and head for the exit._ _ _ _

____Papa closes his eyes, looking as if he’d like nothing better than to sink into the floor. “Wait a moment, ghuleh. Aether, please get her some water.” The dark pope turns and jogs toward you, taking your hands. “I am so sorry, my love. I can’t expect you to pick it up as fast as we did. What you have done so far is extraordinary. I just...I worry for you...about what you could face out there...” He cups your cheeks. “I will stop pushing so hard.”_ _ _ _

____You close your eyes and let yourself sink into his hands. “I’ll focus and I’ll work hard. Just please let me decompress, my love.” You turn your head enough so that you can kiss his palm._ _ _ _

____“I will, I promise. Take all the time you need, my love. I’m so sorry.” He kisses you, gently, and you sink into him even more. “Tonight, I’m going to give you a full body massage, and then let Johannes at you with that tongue. You’re going to sleep like a rock.”_ _ _ _

____You blush faintly but smile. “That sounds amazing...” You kiss him again, then back away. “I just... I really do need to go outside,” you say quietly. When Johannes moves as if to accompany you, you shake your head. “I... I just need a few minutes...” and you turn and head out of the room. It takes a little bit, but you manage to make your way to Papa’s vine wall, and you sit with your head in your hands, and you begin to cry. After a little while you feel a brisk gust of energy swirl around you. “What are you doing here, Air?”_ _ _ _

____Air settles beside you, slow and deliberate, before replying. “Checking on you. Your energy is turbulent to anyone who can feel it. Thought you might need someone who’s good at listening.” He settles a gentle hand on the back of your neck._ _ _ _

____“I suppose Papa sent you.” You start wiping your eyes and face with the backs of your hands, desperately trying to get a hold of yourself. You’re starting to feel like all you do in front of any of these guys is cry, and you’re tired of it._ _ _ _

____“He didn’t, actually. We ghouls care about you and what happens to you even without his input.” He watches you, then sighs softly. “You know that we don’t mind you crying, right? You’ve only had a few days to get used to being kidnapped and marked by Satan, having a shapeshifting clown try to kill you, blackmail you into sex to save your own life instead, and become one of your loves. You’ve learned you’re slightly more than human, been in an orgy, and are now learning energy manipulation, possibly to keep you alive. My little one, if you didn’t cry I would think there was something mentally wrong with you.”_ _ _ _

____“Well when you put it that way,” you say as you start to giggle...and then you are laughing hysterically, until you are breathless and your sides hurt....and then you are crying, great heaving sobs that seem to come from your gut, and you lay your head on Air’s lap and cry and cry..._ _ _ _

____Air doesn’t try to shush you. He doesn’t tell you everything is going to be okay, because he doesn’t know that it will be. He simply lets you cry, soaking his pant leg, letting you get out all the emotions that you’ve been bottling up. He strokes your hair softly, a silent comfort._ _ _ _

____Eventually your sobs subside, and you are just taking in shuddering breaths as you sniffle and try to calm down. Your mouth opens and you’re about to apologize when Air presses down on your head the slightest bit. “Don’t you dare apologize,” he says quietly._ _ _ _

____You say nothing, then, “All of you, even Papa and Johannes, must think I am a weak stupid excuse ... it’s no wonder Papa is so frustrated with me with the training. I would be ... hell, I am frustrated with myself. Why wouldn’t he be?”_ _ _ _

____“If any of us actually thought that, we wouldn’t be taking all this time with you. And honestly, how could you say that about Earth?” The tall ghoul frowns down at you, protective of the man he considers a little brother._ _ _ _

____Shame hits your gut. “You’re right. That was horrible for me to even suggest. It just shows how crazed I must be.” You close your eyes and whisper, “Maybe I should just go. I’ve caused so many problems... and probably will cause more... If I go, then there’s an end to it. You can go on tour, and Johannes can go back to his life, and I wouldn’t tell anyone about anything, I promise...”_ _ _ _

____Air sighs. “I can see where you would think that. But it would kill Papa. And Earth. And even that wolf. It would only hurt everyone, little conduit. You need to stay here, with us. We’ll keep you safe and loved.” He leans down, presses a kiss to your forehead, whispers, “You can’t go...”_ _ _ _

____Tears begin to fall again. “I feel like I’m going to hurt you all no matter what I do. If I go, it’ll be awful. But staying puts you all in danger too.”_ _ _ _

____Air blinks. “Danger? I don’t think we’re in danger at all. What do you mean, little one?” Then he pauses. “Are you worried about the wolf’s king?”_ _ _ _

____“Of course. Aren’t you? Aren’t any of you?” You sit up and look at Air incredulously. “He sent Johannes to kill me. In case you haven’t noticed, I am not even remotely dead. I doubt the king is all, ‘oh, ok, no problem then.’ Not to mention, I kind of stole his assassin. You don’t think the king will take offense to that?” You wrap your arms around yourself. “I may not be wise to all this supernatural stuff, but it’s just common sense to think I am still fairly high on the king’s royal shit list.”_ _ _ _

____To your surprise he bursts out laughing, and smooths a hand over your hair. “My little one, you really have no idea what we ghouls and Papa are capable of, do you?” He points to a rose growing off the vine, and in a millisecond something cuts the stem cleanly, and then the bloom floats over to you. “And that’s in human form. I can cut someone cleanly in half in my demon form.”_ _ _ _

____You pluck the rose out of the air and twirl it in between your fingers. “And you think they don’t have amazing powers of their own?” You sigh. “You boys are so .... cocky.” You smile at the ghoul who has been easing your mind. “What am I going to do with the lot of you?”_ _ _ _

____Air smiles softly to you and cups your cheek. “Love us. Stay with us. Be our goddess forever.” He leans down and kisses you deeply, and while he may not say much out loud usually, his kiss speaks volumes. You feel love, a hint of lust, and sadness in his kiss, and the guilt hits you again about suggesting you leave. How can you leave these men who are willing to do so much for you?_ _ _ _

____You sink into his kiss, bringing your hands up to cup his face, and you feel his energy sweeping through you, like a brisk fall breeze, clearing all the muck from your mind.  
Slowly, and after several small, lingering kisses that have you trembling, he pulls away, smiling to you. “Do you feel any better?”_ _ _ _

____You pause, really listen to your inner self. “Yes. Yes, I do.” You kiss him again, marveling at how much better you do feel. “You’re amazing.” You pause, then look a little nervous as you say, “So, I’ve seen Papa in his true form, and I’ve seen Johannes shapeshift. Could...could I see your true form, Air?”_ _ _ _

____Air blinks down to you. “You want to see...well, I don’t see why not.” He pulls his mask off and closes his eyes. The wind picks up, pulling at your clothes, whipping around the hair that got loose from your bun. When it settles, Air is...your jaw drops. Elegant horns curl up from his forehead, like those of a buck, though not quite as big. His eyes glow pure white (though not with the same spotlight effect that Papa’s and Satan’s have), and there’s a constant breeze pulling at his own hair and clothes. His skin has darkened to the same grey as his mask, not reaching the same level of darkness that Papa had._ _ _ _

____You stare at him, eyes wide, and your hands lift to your mouth. “Oh Air...you’re so beautiful…” Then, “You know, it just occurred to me that you didn’t get your turn last night, not really. I’m sorry ... you were so patient, and then....”_ _ _ _

____Within seconds, his true form is under wraps again, and Air smirks down to you, dark lust entering his shining eyes. “Are you offering now? Little one, as sweet as that is, I don’t know if that’s a good idea right now.”_ _ _ _

____You blink. “Why not?”_ _ _ _

____He chuckles low and leans forward, breathing into your ear, his words a growl. “Because you need to be able to stand for the rest of your training.” The meaning of his words sinks in, and you shudder at the implication, fingers wrapping around his biceps._ _ _ _

____You try to pull away, but Air keeps you right where you are, his lips still right at your ear. “It sounds like it might be a good idea for later,” you whisper, your voice shaking.  
Air smirks, lips just brushing your ear as he replies, “Yes, later... But for now, you should get back to Papa and the wolf.” He gives your ear a nip before standing and offering his hand to you._ _ _ _

____Feeling shaky, you take his hand and let him guide you up, back down the garden path, and back to the training room, where someone has set up a table with lunch, and Papa, Johannes, and the rest of the ghouls are helping themselves amid discussion of tour preparations._ _ _ _

____They look up when you come in, and Papa smiles, standing and coming over. He kisses you softly, taking your hand. “Are you feeling better, love?” He frowns at the tear stains on your cheeks, but then smiles again as Earth runs over and grabs your hand, pulling you to the table. You have just enough time to flash him a smile before your back is to him, but the sparkle in your eyes is unmistakable. He breathes a sigh of relief and rejoins his friends._ _ _ _


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which harsh truths are confronted...

Lunch is a loud, messy affair, with lots of talking, laughing, and silliness, and lots of ghouls going out of their way to touch you wherever they can reach. By the time training starts again, you’re feeling much more balanced, and you know that you have the ghouls, especially Air, to thank for your better frame of mind. Learning to shield goes much better than you expect it to.

By the end of the day you’ve successfully blocked all of them. You’re drenched in sweat and sore everywhere, but triumphant. Papa too is in a much better frame of mind, and he laughs and whirls you around. “You are incredible, my ghuleh!”

You giggle as he spins you about. “I’ll feel a lot more incredible when I’ve had a hot shower and that massage you promised.” Your stomach growls. “And dinner. Definitely some dinner,” you add as Johannes raises an eyebrow and chuckles.

Papa laughs and kisses you again. “We shall have our meal here again, and then get you that hot shower and massage.” Air catches your gaze and holds it, intense dark promise in his eyes, and you swallow hard in spite of yourself. But you get led back to the table as Fire and Water each kiss your cheek at the same time and go get dinner for you all.

Dinner is even louder and crazier than lunch had been, and you start to realize that the excitement of the impending tour is driving everyone’s energy levels. You half-listen to Fire and Water argue over bunk assignments on the tour bus as Papa and Johannes have a quiet discussion that you can’t quite make out ... and the entire time you can feel Air’s heated gaze upon you.

“You’re smaller so you should get the top bunk!” 

“You know your snoring echoes so bad from the bottom, Fire, we’ve told you this!” 

“I do not snore!” 

Papa murmurs to Johannes, “What’s the likelihood your king already has eyes in the church? I need to try to figure out how to minimize attention to the both of you...”

Finally you give up trying to follow the individual conversations, and just sit back and smile as you watch everyone talk and argue amongst themselves.

Earth, sitting next to you, beams happily and asks, “Are you excited? Was the last show your first one?” Air hasn’t stopped watching you the entire time, eating and drinking while staring at you intently. You are starting to fidget from it.

“Ahhh, no, the last show was definitely not my first,” you say to Earth, “but this will be more fun since I’ll be behind the scenes, won’t I?” You try to ignore Air’s unrelenting gaze, but it’s impossible. You’re surprised you can’t actually touch the tension between the two of you.

Earth nods happily. “You’ll be surrounded by our awesome crew, so you’ll be totally safe!” Air smirks, fingers tracing a pattern on the rim of his wineglass that you know would feel amazing on your clit. You swallow a gulp of ice water.

“Speaking of safe, who is maintaining the balance tonight?” Papa asks. “No, Earth, you did it last night, and it’s not fair if you do so again, you’ve got to trade off.” Fire and Water start a new argument but they barely get going before Air raises his voice.

“I will. Our goddess and I have an...encounter we agreed to earlier.” Everyone blinks at the normally silent ghoul. 

Papa speaks, hesitantly. “What kind of encounter, exactly?” 

The tall ghoul smirks. “You will see. I believe you said Johannes has first crack at her after her shower. Let him go, and then I will. She will need your massage after.”

Your mouth opens and closes. When Papa catches your gaze and looks at you questioningly, you can only nod while everyone else stares knowingly. Finally you manage to squeak out, “I really need to shower,” as you stand and head for the door.

When the door closes, Papa turns to the smug ghoul. “She needs to be able to walk tomorrow, Air.” 

Air chuckles. “If she cannot I will carry her.” Papa frowns, but nods. The other ghouls look a little nervous, especially Earth and Water, but they know it’s your choice. 

Johannes glances around, taking in everyone’s expressions, especially Air’s. “So what am I missing? What’s so special about Air here?” He gives the tall ghoul a careful once-over. “What are you planning on doing to her?”

Papa sighs, leaning back in his chair. “Air is rather infamous around here for liking it rough. Very, very rough. Oh, he is very good at foreplay and making sure a woman (or man) is pleasured, but once penetration happens?” He gives Air a look that’s half impressed and half concerned. 

Fire speaks up. “I knew a sister once who was with him. She didn’t need medical treatment or anything, but...she was in bed for two days.”

Air chuckles softly. “She was very good. I still send her flowers once a week.”

Johannes stares at Air for several moments. “You really think it’s a good idea to fuck her like that after the day she’s had?”

Air looks to him. “Wolf. I do not mince words like my more diplomatic fellows. As of right now, I don’t like to think of you even being around her, let alone concerned for her well-being. But right before the tour is not the time to have this out. So. Quite frankly, you can go fuck yourself while I fuck our goddess.” And he stands, heading for the door. The other ghouls and Papa sit there, gaping.

Johannes is a lightning strike—he is up and slamming Air into the wall before the chair he was in hits the floor, forearm pressing across Air’s neck, pinning him to the wall, his other hand closed around Air’s testicles, squeezing hard enough to make it known that he’s willing to squeeze harder if he wants to. The two men are nearly the same height, so they are eye to eye, and Johannes snarls. “I don’t know what your problem is, but when you’re ready you just say the word, and we can have this out whenever you want. In the meantime,” and Johannes’s face splits into a wild grin that makes him look quite insane, “I _am_ around her, and I _am_ concerned for her well-being, because she is my love.” He puts more pressure on Air’s neck. “And I am hers. You don’t like it?” The clown shrugs. “Die mad about it.”

Air’s mouth splits into a growl, and suddenly Johannes is flying across the room, slamming back first into the opposite wall. Air currents like iron bars slam him to the wall around his wrists, neck, and ankles. The tall, infuriated ghoul stalks closer, air swirling around his hands, eyes beginning to glow. “YOU RAPED HER, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU FUCKING RAPED THE WOMAN YOU CLAIM TO LOVE!” A slice opens on the assassin’s cheek. “And then I bet you were going to kill her anyway, weren’t you?!”

The other ghouls look on, startled at this turn of events. Fire half stands out of his chair to try to stop it, but Papa puts his hand up. “Better they get this out of the way. If it looks like they’ll kill each other, we’ll step in.”

The clown’s laugh is wild, raspy, guttural. His iconic makeup has appeared around his eyes and mouth. “Ah, feed me that self-righteousness, it’s delicious!” he snarls. “Slice me again, I like when it hurts!”

“Self-righteousness?!” Air spits, and indeed another cut opens on Johannes’s arm. “You dare to speak to me of self-righteousness?!” He makes his voice into a mockery of the clown’s. “‘I _am_ concerned for her well-being!’” The ghoul’s face gets right into the wolf’s, the air current around his neck preventing him from headbutting the other man. “Where the fuck was that concern when you forced her mouth on your cock? Where was that concern when she was begging for her life, her only crime to land her in that nightmare being in the wrong place at the wrong time?!” Earth is shaking in his seat, tears streaming down his face. Fire and Aether are both ready to step in, and Water is totally lost at what he should do. Papa...Papa watches. He knows both men, and he knows both sides have legitimate reasons. True, he can’t exactly say he is happy that Johannes did what he did...but if he hadn’t, they wouldn’t all be together now.

“Fuck yes I dare.” Johannes snarls and snaps his teeth in Air’s face, nearly taking a bite out of his cheek. “I dare, because unlike you, my oh-so-charming demon, I have not lived my own life for a very. Long. Time. Your Divine Discord allows you free will and choices. My life was my king’s to do with as _he_ pleased. I had no free will. No choices. There was no give and take. There was serve or die. I didn’t have the luxury of questioning orders or debating ethics. I didn’t even have the presence of mind to consider the idea of refusing to do as I was commanded. Because I was a fucking animal controlled by another fucking animal.” Johannes roars, and all the air is sucked out of the room as he shifts into the huge black wolf, breaking the hold the air current bars have on his human form. The wolf snaps at Air as it leaps away from him, and then just as quickly, it shifts back into Johannes. “Does that excuse what I did? No, it fucking doesn’t. But I did it. Until that goddess showed me I have choices. That my life is mine.” Johannes goes right up to Air again, but this time doesn’t touch him. Just stands toe to toe, eye to eye. “You can’t possibly hate me for what I did to her more than I do. I’ll hate myself forever for what I did. But she loves me anyway.” His eyes glitter with power and emotion. “Go ahead. Hate me. Slice me. Curse me. I deserve it all. But it won’t stop me and it won’t stop her.” The room is dead silent as Johannes stares at Air for a long moment.

For a long time Air just stares at him, eyes still glowing, air currents still swirling around his fists. The tension in the room is tangible, and all the ghouls, even Papa, are frozen in their seats. Slowly, slowly, his eyes stop glowing, and the air around his hands disperses. His shoulders relax, and his expression is...regret. “...Forgive my harsh words. No one here truly knows what you went through—you have not exactly been forthcoming with information. If you are to truly be on our side, that must eventually change. But...that’s for another time. For now...” The ghoul sighs, then puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I cannot forgive you for what you did to her, orders you couldn’t refuse or not. But...but I will move past it anyway. For Papa, and for her.” He looks over to the table. “Papa, forgive my outburst.” The dark pope inclines his head. “Water, will you come here and heal Johannes?” The smaller ghoul hastily gets up and scuttles over. “Please, give my regrets to our goddess that I will not be showing up tonight. I will not fuck her like normal after such a confrontation. I would truly damage her then.” And then he was gone, blinking into his own rooms.

Johannes waves Water away. “Don’t heal me. I deserve to bleed.” 

Earth comes up next to the clown and puts his hand on the cut on the clown’s arm. “Actually, no. You don’t.” He starts to heal it himself. “But I’ll...well. I’ll leave a scar for you, if that will help.”

“You can’t exactly go back to our goddess bleeding like that.” Papa sighs, standing and coming over. “We will already have to explain this new scar you didn’t have ten minutes ago.”

Fire stands, sighing as well. “I’ve had enough excitement for one day. I’m going to bed. Try not to kill each other.” He blinks out of the room. 

Papa puts a hand on Earth’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go check on Air? He could use you right now.” He looks to Aether. “Would you like to do the balance tonight then?”

Aether bows. “Of course.” He watches Johannes for a long moment. “I won’t participate though ... I think the two of you need to be with her without adding anything or anyone else into the mix.”

Water pipes up, voice gentle. “And I think that you need to have a talk about what you did, Johannes. Because with everything else that’s happened to her in the last two days, it sounds like she hasn’t come to terms with anything you did to her.” And then he was gone as well.

Johannes looks at Papa. “Do they always hand out advice every other minute?” 

“No.” Papa smirks. “Sometimes it’s every other second.” 

Johannes lets out one mirthless “ha”, then drops to his knees. “Water is wrong. She’s coming to terms with everything. I am the one who’s a mess.”

Papa comes over, sitting down and leaning against the taller man. “She hasn’t said one single word about you...about you raping her, Johannes. Not one. That’s not coming to terms with it, that’s locking it away into a box in a forgotten corner of her mind, to find years in the future and realize that she never was okay...” Papa takes his hand, holding it tightly. “We can’t let our goddess go through that...”

Johannes closes his eyes against the hot tears that are forming, but they fall anyway. “I know you’re right, but I’m a scared, selfish bastard. I honestly don’t know why either one of you gives a shit about me. But I won’t survive if the both of you leave me.”

Papa reaches up and gently wipes his tears away. “Underneath all those grins and threats, you’re a good man. And you deserve the chance to find that out, Johannes. This is an important step in learning to do the right thing. We will not leave you alone in this. But you need to be honest with us about what you’ve been through.”

“What more do you need to know? I am the king’s assassin. I killed for him...countless times. My life was his to command ... I did nothing without his express permission—I even fucked on his command. There were times when I didn’t even shift if he didn’t tell me it was permissible. The king’s pleasure was burned into me.” He pulls his shirt off, points to his back. “His whip was slashed into me. The king’s wants and needs came before my own, before anything else. The king’s life was my life. I didn’t know anything else could exist. Just my king and what he wants.” He opens his eyes and stares into space. “And he always gets what he wants.”

Papa shifts around him, making the former assassin look into his eyes. “Not this time he won’t. And that’s not exactly the info we need right now, though that certainly helps us understand you, and you’d do well to explain that to our goddess so she understands better.” He pauses, looking a little frustrated. “I don't even know where to begin. First, did your king tell you to...to fuck her before she died?”

Johannes’s face is devoid of expression, the only way he can talk about any of this. “My orders were to hurt her, fuck her, and kill her. It...it had been...my last mission did not go...well....and my king was concerned that I was... losing my edge. She was...she was supposed to be ... I was supposed to show my king that I was still his terror to unleash. That I was still ... a nightmare made flesh.” He looks at Papa, but he doesn’t really see him. “That it was all I could ever be.”

Papa’s hands grip Johannes’s face suddenly, hard enough for some pain. “Look at me. Johannes, you’re looking through me. Look. At. Me.” Slowly the wolf’s eyes refocus, settling on Papa’s. “Your king is full of bullshit. Absolute bullshit! You are so much more than a nightmare. You may have started out that way to our goddess, but you know what happened? You changed, you morphed into a beautiful dream! You are not his anymore, Johannes. You are ours, and we...we care about you so much, beyond just what you can do for us. But even more important than that, and I want you to listen closely,” and his hands gentle, but Johannes couldn’t have moved again even if he’d wanted to, “Johannes...you are yours now.”

Johannes says nothing, just stares at Papa for long moments before letting his head fall to rest on Papa’s shoulder. His shoulders begin to shake.

Papa’s fingers smooth over the taller man’s hair as he wraps him in a tight embrace. “Let it out, Johannes, let it out.” He looks to Aether, standing in the back, and mentally asks the ghoul to check up on you. Aether nods and blinks out. The dark pope closes his eyes and leans his cheek on the top of Johannes’s head.

Aether blinks back in. “She is fine but she wanted to know where you were and she didn’t believe me. If I were a betting man, I’d lay odds that she’s on her way here—” The door opens and in you step. “Umm...now.”

Your eyes widen as you take in the nearly empty room, then see Johannes looking almost...broken, in Papa’s arms. Your eyes widen as you rush over. “What happened?! Johannes, what—is that blood?!” You are quickly panicking, tears filling your eyes at the thought of someone hurt. “What happened?” you ask again.

Papa nudges Johannes but it’s clear that the wolf isn’t taking notice of what’s happening around him. You sink down to your knees next to your loves, putting your arms around them both. “If someone doesn’t start telling me what happened, I am really going to freak out. Please don’t tell me you were fighting again???”

Papa cups your cheek softly, then sighs. “Air and Johannes got into a...disagreement. It seems the ghoul is very resentful of how you and Johannes...met. They fought, briefly, before making amends. Air was not injured beyond some bruising, I assume. Johannes had some cuts that Earth healed.”

You are bewildered. “Air and...what? How Johannes and I met? Why would anyone care...oh. Oh.” You’re quiet for a long time, feeling Johannes shake, thinking... then finally, you say, “But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Air be angry? If anyone should be angry about how we ... met ... it should be me. And I’m not. So ...”

“My dear,” Papa begins, and his voice holds a definite note of exasperation. “Beyond him trying to kill you, he raped you. If the Clergy recognizes any sins at all, rape is one of the cardinal ones. All of us care about you very much, and none of us are happy with what he did. But...there were reasons. He was ordered to, and he didn’t know he even had the option to refuse. Air cannot forgive him, even though it’s not truly his fault.” He pauses, tucking a lock of still-wet hair behind your ear. “I wish to know…why are you not mad at him for violating you?”

“Because...” you pause. How to explain when you barely understand it yourself? “I know I should be mad at him. I should hate him. But...Papa, you were there, you saw...” You see it all again in your mind’s eye. “I begged...I said I would do anything...and he told me to get on my knees, to...to...do him...but there was something in his eyes....some kind of...battle? The real part of him, my wolf, didn’t want to hurt me. It was the king who made him...maybe even the king was inside him? Making him?” You shake your head. “Anyway, I think my wolf was just as violated as me. I can’t be angry with him—we were in the same position, and we fought together to survive and reach the other side. I don’t consider it rape anymore.” You lean in and hug Johannes. “Do you hear me, my wolf?”

Humbled by your words, Papa simply nods and reaches forward, wrapping his arms around the shaking other man. “Come back to us, Johannes. We need our wolf by our side. We need to help him find himself, to teach him that he is more than worthy of us.”

You and Papa sit like that, wrapped around Johannes and each other, for quite some time before Aether shakes himself and sends a mental SOS to Earth. When the smaller ghoul blinks in, he takes in the scene and looks questioningly at Aether, who simply says, “Help me move them to Papa’s rooms. I’m uncomfortable just watching them huddle on this floor but I can’t shift all three of them at once.” Earth smiles, nods, and the two ghouls gather the three of you in their embrace and blink you to Papa’s rooms, right in the middle of the huge bed.

You barely register the move, wrapped up around each other as you are. You press your forehead to the side of Johannes’s and murmur softly, “My love...my love, please, say something. Come back to us...We...I need you...” You turn his head so gently and begin kissing him, soft brushes along his lips, nose nudging against his. The two ghouls, who move off the bed and watch worriedly, are forgotten as you and Papa try to get him to react to you without using pain. He’s had enough of that.

Papa gathers his long black hair into a ponytail and, wrapping it carefully around his hand, gently moves it to the side, exposing his neck. The dark pope begins to place soft kisses along the length of his neck as you begin to kiss a trail up his jawline. You both feel the faintest shudder, and you whisper, “That’s it, my wolf. Feel our love for you.”

You nip him gently, fingernails lightly scratching at the back of his neck. Papa sucks a mark into his skin just under his ear. He whispers to him, “Wake up, Johannes...we need you...” He takes Johannes’s hand and gently presses it to his growing erection.

Johannes’s shudder this time is more pronounced, his grip tightening a little, and Papa hisses encouragement. You whisper again, “We want you, my wolf, we need you.” You run your hand down his free arm, interlocking your fingers with his when you reach his hand, and bring it to your mouth, kissing his fingers before bringing his hand down to your breast.

Papa groans, leaning up and nipping at Johannes’ lips. “Make us come, my wolf...make us yours again...you’re free to do that...” You moan as his fingers lightly roll your nipple, and his name is sinful on your lips.

“Are you...” Johannes’s voice is nothing more than a raspy whisper, and both you and Papa pause, lean in to hear. Johannes swallows, then whispers, “Are you sure? Are you sure you still want ... me?”

You smile against his skin, as does Papa, and you both kiss his neck. “Yes...yes, Johannes...you’ll always be ours...for however long you want to be...” Papa murmurs.

You whisper into his other ear, “I cannot wait to see what kind of free man you become...”

“I want to be a man who is worthy of you,” he murmurs, and kisses you. Then he turns to Papa. “And worthy of you.” And he kisses Papa, and caresses both of your faces as he looks from you to Papa and back to you. “I may not succeed...”

You smile, tears in your eyes. “We’d rather you try and stay with us...we can help you, Johannes...we want to...You have so many decisions to make on your own now...” You lean forward and kiss him again, murmuring in between kisses, “And I know that you’ll turn into a good man.” 

“Maybe not so much decent,” Papa teases gently, caressing his hair, “but certainly good.” 

Watching from the couch, Aether leans down to Earth and asks softly, “How was Air?”

Earth shrugs. “Ah. Well...quiet, of course. He is...angry. At Johannes, still, but also himself. I think ... he thought he would never mention his anger and resentment. He is angry that he lost control of himself. And...” Earth pauses, shakes his head, smiles a little. “He will never admit it but he believes our goddess will not want him because he does not like Johannes. I told him that she is too understanding to act that way but ... well. You know how our Air is.”

Aether laughs softly. “I do indeed. Our goddess will definitely understand, and if she doesn’t welcome him back with open arms I will eat my mask.” 

Papa moves behind Johannes, starting to undress the taller man as you speak to him. He smiles as you keep such a gentle tone of voice, calming him like you would an actual wolf. His hands run gently up and down the man’s back, frowning at all the scars there. Papa recalls what Johannes said just a few minutes ago, and the desire to bring ruin to this king rises.

You move in front of Johannes and run your hands up and down his chest, mimicking Papa’s movements, and then you slide your hands down to the front of his pants, beginning to undo each button. “I want to love you forever, Johannes, in every way. Will you let me do that?”

Papa murmurs into his ear, “And I feel the same...let us love you...” He helps you peel his pants down Johannes’s legs, then gently lays him down on top of you while he searches for the ever-elusive lubricant.

Johannes looks down at you, really stares into your eyes. “You really aren’t mad at me? Truly?” 

You stroke his back, his arms, his hair, whatever you can reach, as you smile into his gaze. “Really, truly. My love, I was scared, but that didn’t keep me from seeing that you were too. I think we saved each other.” You kiss him deeply, bringing him as close to you as you possibly can.

You relish Johannes’s gasp into your lips as Papa’s slick fingers rub at the wolf’s back entrance. The dark pope murmurs, “If this is something you do not want, please say so...” One finger starts gently pressing, adding a tantalizing hint of pressure.

Johannes moans into your mouth. “I want it, Papa, I ... I need it. I need you.” He kisses you. “I need you both so badly.” He pushes back against Papa’s finger, which allows his erection to slide against your folds.

Papa groans at Johannes moving against his finger, and slowly pushes that finger in, pumping him gently, massaging his prostate with a loving caress. You cry out softly at his cock sliding against your clit, the sound mingling with Johannes’s moan, making the ghouls on the couch sigh with the beauty of it.

“I’ve...ahhh...I’ve never seen anything more beautiful,” Earth breathes, entranced with the scene in front of them. “In their imperfection, they are the most perfect thing. I don’t ... well. We need to protect them.”

Aether smiles and puts his arm fondly around the smaller ghoul’s shoulders. “We will, dear Earth, we will. They’ll protect each other. We’ll protect them. And Satan will protect all of us. The perfect circle.” He looks down at his fellow ghoul, who can’t tear his eyes away from the three on the bed. “You handled Johannes well earlier, when you healed him. He seems fond of you.”

Earth shakes his head. “Ah. Well. He’s simply...well. I have to...take care of him. Like, like a familiar. Although we are both the cat...hmmm.”

Aether grins, and he puts a hand over his mouth, and his shoulders are shaking with suppressed laughter. “Does that make Johannes a kitten instead of a wolf?” 

Papa moans Johannes’s name as he slips another finger inside him. “That’s right, my wolf, pleasure our goddess...”

Johannes groans at the added finger and presses back harder and his kisses get a little deeper and more demanding. You meet him kiss for kiss, arching your back up to press as much of your body against his as you can, needing to feel him everywhere.

“That’s it...she loves what you do to her...I love what you do to me...” A third finger presses in, and he slips his arm around the man’s waist, rubbing the top of his cock so that he was surrounded, your folds on one side and his hand on the other.

The three of you grind together, gasp together—and Aether and Earth moan quietly as they watch your three bodies seem to merge into one being. Aether unfastens his pants and reaches one hand in, palming his own aching cock.

You whimper and cry into Johannes’s mouth, your hips shift—suddenly he’s sliding inside you, stretching you wide. You keen his name against his lips, and at the same time Papa slicks up his cock and slides slowly, deeply into the wolf’s ass. Earth whimpers at the sight, straining against his own pants, and he looks to Aether in surprise. “Do...do you think that’s okay?” He’s worried he might interrupt the trio on the bed.

“Even if it’s not, I can’t help it... I have to do something, I’m so fucking hard,” Aether groans as his hips thrust upward.

Earth nods, fingers fumbling at the button on his own pants, desperate for friction. 

You are on cloud nine, the feel of Johannes’s hips rolling into yours is incredible, and watching Papa slowly slide in and out of the taller man’s ass is just heightening the sensations. You bury one of your hands into the wolf’s hair, and the other one you hold up to Papa, lacing your fingers together tightly.

You all keep the pace excruciatingly slow, making every movement a feast of sensation. You and Papa maintain a litany of whispered love in Johannes’s ears, as if you’re trying to drown out any internal monologue the wolf might be struggling against. And Johannes, for once, doesn’t speak...all he is able to do is moan into your mouth.

You feel tears hitting your skin, and you cling all the more tightly to the troubled man as he picks up his pace. Papa’s fingers slip in between you both, dancing along your clit as he too speeds up, making you all cry out as one, the harmony making the ghouls on the couch shudder at the beauty of it.

“Come with me, my wolf,” you gasp, Papa’s fingers bringing you quickly to the edge. “Come...in me...make me yours again...” Your insides seem to spiral in, coiling tight, the tension and friction building higher and higher, with every flick of Papa’s fingers and every thrust of Johannes’s cock. Aether is panting and thrusting into his hand, gripping the back of the couch with his other hand, Earth next to him, gripping his own cock tightly, trying not to be loud.

Suddenly Papa pinches your clit, not hard, but enough for some delicious pressure, and you explode, screaming against Johannes’s shoulder. Your walls strangle his cock, and he can’t hold back; he roars as he comes. Papa bites down on the clown’s back as his own cock is squeezed tightly, and he shoots wave after wave of hot cum into Johannes’s ass, the feeling making the man under him come all the harder. Earth can’t hold back at feeling all his favorite people coming like that, and he presses a hand to his mouth to stifle his cries as he comes into his hand, the small ghoul shuddering and twitching as pleasure wracks his body.

“Satan....fuuck...” Aether groans and he too comes in his hand, the sensation of everyone else’s orgasms rocketing through him and making his own orgasm that much more intense.

Slowly, slowly, you all come down from the amazing high, and the only sounds in the room are the sudden and explosive sobs of the man who was formerly owned by his king. You hold him tightly, letting him cry out the decades of repressed hurt, hurt that he never even knew he had. Papa hugs him from behind, cocooning him in warmth and safety with you, murmuring soothingly as the ghouls quietly file into the bathroom to wash their hands.

Once they have themselves cleaned up, the two ghouls come back in and sit on the bed with the three of you, lending their energy, Earth very quick to find a way to touch Johannes and begin to ground him, slowly.

Papa extracts himself from Johannes and helps to move him off you, gently moving him so that the sobbing man’s head is resting on Earth’s thigh. The dark pope helps you off the bed and into the bathroom, sitting you on the counter as he helps you clean up, giving Johannes some time with the ghoul who looks after him. Papa presses a soft kiss to your forehead, gently wiping your tears away. “Are you all right, my love?”

You smile through your tears, cupping Papa’s face with both hands. “I’m fine...I just, I want to wave my hands and just make everything perfect for him. Seeing him so hurt and sad...it hurts my heart. I don’t want any of you to feel that way.” You pause, thinking. “I have to see Air.”

Papa blinks, then smiles. “All right. I’ll have Aether take you there. Just try not to be gone for too long, Johannes will need you back soon.” Papa kisses you softly, lingeringly, pressing his forehead to you after. “And I will too...”

“I know. I will need you both too.” You pull away from him, and laugh a little as you look at him in surprise. 

“What is that look for, ghuleh?” Papa asks with a smile. 

“Just...” You pause as you study his face, loving every detail. “I’m surprised. I expected you to try to keep me from seeing Air tonight.”

Papa blinks at you, then smiles softly and cups your cheek. “My precious goddess. If you truly want to do something, I am not going to stop you. That would be cruel. But...” And here his smile turns teasing. “I will most certainly add in my two cents. Personally, I don’t think you should fuck him tonight as he’s in a...delicate mood and you seriously could get hurt and we have to leave early tomorrow. But I will not stop you either way.”

You wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him soundly. “I have no intentions of fucking Air tonight.” You stop to think, then roll your eyes. “Of course, given how my life has been going in the last few days, I suppose I should be prepared for anything.”

Papa laughs softly and kisses your cheek. “That is very true. All right, go on. The sooner you leave the sooner you can get back.” He gives your ass a playful swat to usher you out of the bathroom, following you. “Aether, once our goddess is dressed, will you take her to Air? She wishes to talk with him.” Earth looks up worriedly, but doesn’t take his hands off Johannes.

You dress quickly in a t-shirt and leggings, grateful for the sisters who went out and shopped for you earlier that day. Papa’s shirts, as much as you love them, are really not what you want to be stuck wearing day in and day out. You move to Earth, giving him a kiss. “Don’t worry, I realize he’s...in an iffy mood. All the more reason why I need to see him now.” You stroke Johannes’s hair and lean over to whisper, “I’ll be right back, my love.” Finally you nod to Aether. “Let’s go.”

You smile to Aether as he puts a hand on your arm, and when you blink you’re in Air’s room. You look around curiously—the room is smaller than Papa’s, but still very nice. You notice a keyboard near his bed, and there’s a grand piano against one wall, beautifully made, the wood polished and gleaming. The ghoul himself is sitting on his couch, a drink in one hand, his arm over his eyes.

Aether takes in his fellow ghoul, then looks at you and says quietly, “I can wait—” 

“Of course not. I don’t need to be protected from him, or any of you. Don’t be silly. Go.” You make shooing motions with your hands, and Aether frowns, but blinks out. You move to the couch and sit down, legs crossed under you, facing Air.

Air doesn’t move for a long moment. The room feels heavy, a sense of melancholy thick in the air. He lowers his arm after a while, but still doesn’t look at you. “I am sorry, goddess. I regret lashing out, but I meant what I said. I know it is not very fair of me...but whenever I look at him, I see an image of your crying face being forced onto his cock...” He finally looks at you, and his eyes are so sorrowful... “I will move past it, for you and for Papa, but...” He closes his eyes and takes a long drink of the dark liquid in his glass.

“You don’t need to apologize,” you say quietly. “I think maybe I do though.”

He looks at you in surprise, almost spluttering as he says, “You? Why would you need to apologize for anything?!”

Your smile has a hint of sadness. “Air, I started this whole crazy thing. I didn’t do it on purpose, of course, but by walking into that loading dock the other night, I threw all your lives into chaos. And every time we turn around, it gets crazier. And I’m the center of it all. The conduit thing, hanging out with Satan, the king wanting me dead, Johannes ... it all comes back to me. And ninety-five percent of it is stuff I don’t understand, so it’s even more ridiculous, because I’m blundering about, making things worse.” You cover one of his large hands with your much smaller one. “I’m the one causing all the crazy. You’re just reacting and behaving the way you should. And I am sorry for causing all this chaos.”

His eyes turn even more sorrowful. “You cannot think that anyone here blames you for anything.” He brings your hand to his lips, kissing the knuckle softly. “Yes, you have turned our world upside down, but since when is that always a bad thing? Sometimes...a little chaos is good at keeping you on your toes.” He smirks weakly. “Or your back, whichever you prefer.” He reaches out and cups your cheek, gently smoothing his thumb over your skin. “Please, do not blame yourself, goddess...we are all glad to have you here.”

“I know you’re glad I’m here, actually I’m glad too. But I know there is a huge cost, and I also know that you’re all paying your share. I am acutely aware of the sacrifices that are happening, the danger that I’m putting you in, regardless of your powers.” You put your hand on the hand that’s cupping your cheek. “So please, please don’t be upset with yourself. Don’t sit here and brood. If I’m not supposed to blame myself, then you can’t be too hard on yourself.” You turn your head and kiss his palm. “Deal?”

His gaze softens, and he smiles faintly at your kiss. “...Deal.” He leans forward and kisses you, but it’s brief, and he leans back with a sigh. “Go on, little one, back to your loves. Early day tomorrow and all that.” He pauses, then murmurs, “And please, tell Johannes that I’m sorry again.”

You get up, then watch him for a minute. And shake your head. “I don’t believe you. You’re going to sit here and brood anyway, and that’s just not gonna fly with me tonight.”

He raises an eyebrow at you. “And if I do? What will you do about it, little one?” A glint comes into his eye, and if it had been anyone else you would swear it was playfulness.

You raise your eyebrow in response. “Well, if you keep it up, some sort of punishment would be in order...but it’ll be easier just to make you stop brooding, I think.”

Air throws back his head and laughs, a belly laugh that is surprisingly beautiful. “You are going to be punishing me? Bahahaha, you are adorable!” He wipes a tear of mirth away and grins to you, the first time you’ve ever seen one on his face.

You grin back. “That’s much better. I’d rather hear that beautiful laugh and see that beautiful smile than watch you mope.” You reach down to grab his hands.

His eyes widen slightly. “...Beautiful?” As if no one had ever said that to him before.

You gaze at him, wondering just what insecurities the tall ghoul was hiding behind his silent, broody ways. “Yes,” you say as you move close to him and bring his hands to your lips. “Beautiful. You are beautiful.”

Air swallows hard, looking up at you with what is close to awe in his gaze. He gently, gently pulls you down to him, placing one warm hand on the small of your back as you straddle his thighs. He takes his hands and gently slides them up your shoulders, up your neck, until he’s cupping your jawline. He leans forward, closing his eyes as his nose nudges softly against yours. And then he’s kissing you, slowly, thoroughly, making you moan into him with all the care he’s taking to taste every part of your mouth he can reach. He kisses you breathless, until the need your loves had just satiated flares back up into an inferno. He groans, pulling away with a soft nip. “Thank you...” And you see him smile softly, and the next thing you see is your loves on the bed with Earth. He’d sent you back.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you get a little fresh Air...and give one of your loves a taste of magic...

You sink down onto the bed. “Well that was just....unfair. And...and mean,” you say shakily.  


Papa blinks at you. “Unfair and mean? Did the talk not go well?” He’s been so focused on making sure Johannes is all right that he fails to notice the subtle clues he normally picks up instantly. Aether and Earth both try not to laugh, Earth looking away fully to hide his smile.  


You squirm uncomfortably. “Oh the talk was fine. It was the rest of it that was unfair and mean...and why are you two laughing?” you say with a glare in the ghouls’ direction.  


Papa finally really looks at you, and then he too is laughing. “Our Air always surprises the ladies with what he’s capable of. And I bet all this was just from kissing, was it not?” You pout at him, crossing your arms under your breasts. You decide to ignore him, instead looking to Johannes, hoping he was doing better.  


You still feel shaky as you run your hands down Johannes’s hair, watching him sleep, hoping that when he wakes he’ll feel better about himself, and trying to calm yourself after that onslaught of heat from Air.  


Papa smirks faintly, looking to you, watching your hands shake as you pet Johannes gently. “Would you like a little relief, my love?” He looks to Earth. “You did so well with Johannes, my friend. Would you like to taste her again?” He looks to Aether. “Or perhaps you would. I do not think you’ve had the pleasure.”  


“I don’t want to interrupt everyone’s fun laughing at me,” you say, only half joking. “After all, I can see where it would be horribly amusing to get someone all wound up and then leave them that way.” You take a deep breath that still sounds and feels quivery.  


Papa grins and pulls you into his arms. “My dear, if it’s any consolation, I am sure that Air is currently jerking himself off to very lustful thoughts of you. You weren’t the only one left compromised.” He gives you a solid pinch on your ass. “Now, enough pouting, or I won’t let one of my ghouls give you oral sex.”  


“Ow!” you say, still feeling a bit miffed. “Well, that’s just...dumb. Why do that to the both of us? Sometimes you guys just don’t make any sense.”  


Papa laughs softly and kisses your nose. “And you love us anyway.”  


You try to glare menacingly at him, but it’s hard to maintain. “Yes, I do,” you say, kissing his nose in return. “But it was still unfair and mean....and annoying...and...and...rude!”  


“Air knows we have a long day tomorrow and you should probably walk for it. Do you want your pussy eaten or not?” He raises an eyebrow at you and crosses his arms.  


“Maybe I shouldn’t ... after all, I’ve got to be able to walk tomorrow, apparently that’s important...” You know you’re treading perilously close to being a brat, but the words come out of your mouth before your brain catches up and tries to stop you.  


Papa blinks at you, then shrugs. “Suit yourself.” And, as if you were no longer there, he slips off the bed and goes to his desk, sitting and picking up a pen to sign some last-minute tour papers. Aether gets a book and sits down on the couch, and Earth continues to pet Johannes softly.  


You look at each one of them in turn, feeling truly exasperated and annoyed now, and then jump off the bed and head for the bathroom in what can only be described as a flounce. “Fine, all of you can be that way then. See if I care.”  


The door closes behind you and you hear all three of them burst into laughter, making you pout harder.  


You change into an oversized sleep shirt, brush your teeth, wash your face and comb your hair out, muttering all the while to yourself about annoying ghouls and aggravating Papas, and males who think they’re just the funniest things ever to be put on a planet, and work yourself into a fine snit. Finally, you open the bathroom door.  


Aether is “absorbed” in reading, Earth is snuggling with Johannes (who’s holding the little ghoul like a teddy bear and it’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen), and Papa is still signing papers. You huff and climb into the bed, pouting as you punch a pillow to fluff it, and bury yourself under the covers.  


You close your eyes, tight as possible, but you’re still fuming. So you just lie there, your mind racing with the internal argument you’re having with Papa, Earth, Aether, and especially Air.  


Eventually Papa finishes up and comes over. “Aether, I am turning the light off.”  


“Go ahead.”  


Papa snaps his fingers and the light goes out, and he slips under the covers with you. “Are you too angry to cuddle, love?” And his voice is definitely still laced with amusement.  


At this point, you feel stuck. You want to snuggle, but you’re far enough into your snit, and just stubborn enough, that you can’t let go of your pout. “I don’t know. Are you all still laughing at me?”  


Papa smiles and kisses your forehead. “My love, did we truly offend you? We did offer multiple times to pleasure you. Besides, we hadn’t wanted to laugh at you—we wanted to laugh with you.”  


You huff. “No-ooo. I guess not....but it didn’t feel like you were laughing with me. It just felt like you were all in on this big joke that Air started, and you were just laughing at me, and how funny it was that Air made me feel all shaky and then just pushed me away.” You huff again. “I don’t want to be the butt of a joke.”  


“Oh, my sweet ghuleh. He didn’t want to push you away, that I can tell you. But he knew that it was getting late and if you’d stayed any longer he wouldn’t be able to resist you. No one here can for long...” Papa nuzzles into your neck. “You were not a joke, I promise you.”  


You start to melt. “You’re sure? Because it felt like I was. And it just made me so...frustrated and mad.” You’re tearing up now, and you’re getting annoyed with yourself. “And then I was just stuck in it and I couldn’t stop being frustrated and mad.”  


“I promise, my love, you were not a joke. The surprised look on your face was a little funny, but that is truly all.” Papa’s lips press sweet, soothing kisses along your skin, and his hand rests lightly along your hip.  


You still feel annoyed, but it’s gradually seeping away with each kiss Papa leaves on you, with each light stroke on your hip. “I just... it’s already hard for me to not think of myself as a slut, you know that. And then Air ... and then you and Aether and Earth laughing ...” Ugh, more tears, how annoying! “I’m sorry.”  


“Hey now, what did we say about that kind of talk?” He frowns, gently wiping your tears away. “You are not a slut, my love. You need to let go of what Christianity-based society tells you of sex. That shit doesn’t fly here. We want you to do whatever you want to do, my love.” He kisses you gently, fingers smoothing over your hair.  


You laugh through your tears. “Well, that’s easier said than done, you know. Letting go of years of societal standards doesn’t happen in a day. Or even two days, no matter how much sex I have.”  


“I know, my love. But I am allowed to reassure you, as much as you are allowed to doubt yourself. You are not a slut. You are our goddess, and this is how we worship you.” He kisses along your jaw softly, lips soft and soothing still.  


A tiny sigh escapes your lips. “Well, just so you know, winding me up, pushing me away, and laughing about it doesn’t feel like worship. It just feels...mean. And I had enough of that from ... well, from before.”  


“Noted, my love. Just know he didn’t do it on purpose. After all, we cannot not kiss you.” And he proceeds to do so just as masterfully as Air.  


The last of your pout disappears under the onslaught of his lips and tongue, and the tiny mewling sound you make is swallowed up by him. One of your hands slides to the back of his neck while the other goes to his chest, pressing against him even as you pull him closer.  


Papa groans as you press against him, hand on your hip sliding up and down your thigh. “And I thought...that we were....insatiable...” he murmurs into your mouth.  


You smile into his kisses. “What can I say, you all bring it out of me.” There’s a pause and a moan as Papa sucks on your tongue, and then, “Can I still get oral?”  


“You have...only...to ask, my ghuleh,” he says in between kisses. “Feasting on you is always a pleasure.” The hand on your hip moves toward your center, seeking out your folds. “Who do you want to please you?”  


You whimper at the touch on your center, rubbing eagerly against his fingers. “O-Oh, Papa...I-I know I s-shouldn’t tonight, but...a-all I can think about is A-Air kissing me...he was so slow, and so thorough...I-I can’t imagine how good he’d feel inside me...” He smiles, and closes his eyes, sending a message to Air. Almost instantly there’s a new figure in the bed. You gasp as you feel hands on your ankles under the covers, and you throw them back to see Air, looking at you like you’re the next meal he’s going to devour.  


“I decided I’m hungry,” Air growls. His grip on you tightens and he pulls roughly, bringing you closer to him. You squeal at the sudden movement, then cry out as Air takes a bite at your inner thigh...and your cry is cut off by Papa’s kiss.  


Papa groans as you cry out into his mouth, swallowing your noises as if he were getting actual sustenance from them. He moves behind you, reaching down and spreading your legs wide for the ghoul, who shoves your sleep shirt up and out of his way and proceeds to press his face tightly into your folds. You cry out again, rolling your hips against him, the feel of his nose and lips tight against your cunt intense.  


Air spreads your lips apart as his nose burrows into your cunt, and you know he’s inhaling you, taking in your scent as deep as he can before he moves his mouth to the bottom of your slit and uses the flat of his tongue to swipe just your folds...he stops just short of your clit, and goes back to the bottom of your slit, sliding his tongue along just your entrance, over and over, until you feel your cream start to slide out....when it hits his tongue he growls again, and his growl seems to make you vibrate. He pulls away enough so that you and Papa can see the string of your juices clinging to his mouth before he licks his lips and swallows. “I definitely need more of that.” He grins wickedly.  


Papa growls himself at the sight, then attacks your neck, sucking marks into your skin. Air starts lapping at you like a man parched, and his tongue never hits your clit, leaving you whining and trying to move your hips so he touches where you need it the most.  


Air slams both hands down on your hips, pressing them into the mattress. He lifts his mouth from your cunt. “Don’t. Move.” He’s not smiling...just staring at you. “I’ll get to your clit when I’m good and ready.” And with that he slides his tongue inside you and licks.  


The look on Air’s face makes your cunt throb, and his hands bruising your hips makes your toes curl. And when his tongue slides into you...Papa’s hand suddenly wraps around your neck, squeezing just enough to cut off your scream, and he growls into your ear, “Do not wake Johannes unless you really want to be in for it...”  


You open your mouth to answer him, but all that comes out is a gasp, so you nod frantically. “Such a good ghuleh,” Papa rasps as Air twists his tongue inside you and you strain against both men, trying to move and not move at the same time  


Air’s tongue starts plunging in and out of you, fucking your sopping hole mercilessly. You are beginning to believe the stories of those sisters who couldn’t get out of bed—even his tongue is rough. But when it suddenly swirls against your sensitive entrance, thought is seared away, and all you can do is buck against his hands, your own hands scrabbling for purchase.  


Papa lets go of your throat long enough to grab both your wrists, bringing them together and holding them in one hand, then using them to pull your arms over your head, pressing your wrists into the mattress and returning his other hand to your throat, squeezing gently once again. He kisses you, tongue diving into your mouth, as Air begins to lick and suck your clit, and you start to scream into Papa’s lips as you try to press your clit farther into Air’s eager tongue.  


Air growls and shifts, one arm coming fully across your hips and using his weight to hold you down. “I said don’t fucking move!” he snarls as he suddenly slaps your clit hard. Mercilessly, he doesn’t wait for the pain to ebb, instead pinching your nub between his fingers and laving his tongue over the very tip of it.  


You wail into Papa’s mouth, the pain and pleasure combining to make your head spin. Air’s tongue moves fast, faster, and as you get wetter, his fingers slip, and he dips them to your entrance and plunges them inside, thrusting as fast as his tongue, and your orgasm is building up incredibly fast, burning at the edges of your consciousness.  


Air roars into your cunt as your orgasm shatters you into a thousand pieces, and even his arm over you isn’t enough to stop your hips from moving. He keeps going, somehow going even faster, making your orgasm ramp up even further.  


He curls his tongue around your clit then begins to suck, and your orgasm goes on and on...you’re not sure if it’s one long orgasm or several that carry one into the next without stopping...but it doesn’t matter because you’re squirting on Air’s tongue and lips and fingers and face and he is taking it all, and still latched on to your clit. You break free of Papa, arms flailing and trying to find purchase to ground yourself on, to no avail.  


A few feet away on the bed, Earth and Johannes stir, bleary and not knowing what is going on. “Is there an earthquake?” the little ghoul mumbles. You are oblivious to everything except the man at your cunt and the torrent of pleasure shooting through you. Your voice gives out, your muscles strain against Air, now the only one holding you down, and tears run down your cheeks as you are overwhelmed.  


“You are beautiful like this, ghuleh,” Papa says in your ear. “Look how sloppy and beautiful you are. Let Air make you come some more. Show us all how gorgeous you are when you surrender.”  


You sob into Papa’s neck as you slowly come down from your high, but you don’t stay down for long. Air growls softly and moves back up your body, face hovering over yours. “I need to fuck you, goddess. Will you let me?”  


You shudder hard and nod, unable to look away from him. “Gods, yes, please fuck me, please.”  


Papa frowns. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Air…”  


“I won’t treat her like I normally treat my partners, Papa. Besides, you’re right there to stop me if I go harder than you like,” the ghoul points out, undoing his pants.  


Papa hesitates and you whimper, “Please, Papa, it’s ok, I’m so empty, it hurts, I need him to fill me up.”  


Papa hesitates one last time, then relents with a smile. “Whatever you want, my love.” He looks at Air and nods.  


“Hold her down for me,” Air rasps as he strokes himself once, twice. Papa takes your arms again, holding them above your head as he presses a soft kiss to your forehead. “Ready, my goddess?” the ghoul asks you as he slides his tip over your clit. The pleasure almost stings a little, you’re so sensitive, but you nod rapidly, needing him in you. He lines himself up, pressing forward and starting to gently stretch you open, and you gasp his name, arching into his chest as he fills you.  


He bottoms out in you and holds himself there, his heavy, but somehow comforting weight pressing you down hard into the mattress. His eyes close for a moment, savoring the feel of your walls pulsing against his cock, and he groans before he opens his eyes and looks at you. “My goddess, are you...ok?”  


You swallow hard before you stare him down and say, “Air, I swear if you don’t start fucking me, I’m going to lose my mind… _please_.”  


“You might lose your mind when I start…”  


“I don’t care...just fuck me…”  


His lips pull back into a snarl, and he grinds his hips into yours before starting to thrust into you. You cry out his name, his words ringing true as he stretches you wide around him--nearly as thick as Earth, he feels delicious inside you, scraping every inch of you with every thrust. He quickly picks up his pace, moving your legs over his shoulders, and Papa kisses you, not wanting Johannes to wake. The dark pope swallows your screams as Air all but pummels your g-spot, and at this rate you aren’t going to last long.  


As he continues to slam into you, the ghoul moves one hand to your clit and rubs, hard, slapping the nub lightly every so often, all of his movements fast and rough. He can sense your orgasm is about to break, and he stops rubbing and just keeps slapping at your clit. “Come, little one,” he grunts as he pounds you, “come, fucking come, fucking _come_.”  


And you do. Your orgasm feels like you implode, and you scream once again into Papa’s mouth. Air groans, fucking you through your orgasm and into your third, then fourth. You’re quivering, a sweaty mess covered in yourself, and Air shudders and murmurs praises to you. “You’re so beautiful, my goddess, so very beautiful when you’ve been fucked silly…”  


His pace speeds up just a little bit more. “One more, my goddess? Give me everything you’ve got?” Papa’s free hand reaches down and squeezes your breast once, twice, pinches and rolls the nipple through your sleeping shirt, helping to push you over the edge one last time. You convulse against the dark pope and the ghoul as the last, and hardest, orgasm rolls through you, and Air comes, releasing spurt after hot spurt into you, shouting and swearing as he empties himself.  


When he finally finishes, he lets his body relax, his head sinking down to rest between your breasts as he tries to remember how to breathe normally. Your body goes limp underneath him, your eyes close, and you feel like a spent lump. Papa releases your mouth, examining your face for any sign that you are in pain or over-used.  


“My love...my love, are you all right?” Papa whispers.  


Several moments go by before you open one eye, look at Papa, and gasp, “Popsicle.” And you giggle breathlessly.  


You let out a gasp as Air pulls out and flops onto his side, panting hard himself. Papa chuckles, kissing your temple softly before going to the bathroom to grab something to clean you with. The only sound for a moment is you gasping and Air’s panting, every muscle in your body twitching in euphoria and your coming exhaustion.  


Air scoots up a bit, moving level to you, and pulls you close, pressing soft, soothing kisses to your skin, and he nuzzles gently against your cheek. “You are incredible, goddess...you took that so well...and you look more radiant than an angel when you come...”  


You wrap your arms around Air, burying your face in his neck as tremors and breathy gasps continue to wrack your body. He pets you, large hands stroking up and down your body as he whispers soothing nothing words into your ear and Papa returns, gently spreading your legs and pressing a warm cloth to your slit.  


Earth sits up a little, rubs his eyes, and tries to look over, but yelps as he gets pulled back down by Johannes. You are fading fast, energy all but drained from such powerful orgasms. You fall asleep cradled in Air’s arms. He smiles softly down to you. “She’s amazing...”  


Papa merely smiles, stroking your back as he cleans between your legs and gazes at you. “Truly, she is. I did not know someone like her could exist in the world.” He checks on Johannes, who, despite being woken by your screaming orgasm, has gone right back to sleep. “I’m not quite sure how I was living before these two entered our lives.”  


Air closes his eyes and frowns, but lets out a breath through his nose. He doesn’t comment on Johannes but continues to stroke you softly. Earth snuggles back into Johannes’s chest and sighs happily.  


“I know, Air, I know you don’t approve or understand, and you may never truly be all right with the wolf,” Papa says quietly. “I’m not sure I even really understand it. But ... he belongs with her, and with me.”  


“Above all else, Papa, my loyalty is to you. If he’s important to you, then it’s not my place to criticize. I was out of line before. I...I should not have lost control like that. I...I may never be his friend, but neither will I be his enemy.” He presses a kiss to your forehead. “Not when you both love him.”  


Papa shakes his head. “Thank you, Air. But you had every right to express your concerns and opinions...maybe with a little less violence. But strong convictions deeply held often result in ... strong actions. And you are nothing if not a man of strong convictions.” He slides in between you and Johannes’s sleeping forms and settles down. “Let’s get some rest. Aether, are you joining us?”  


Aether leaves his book behind and comes over, snuggling up to one of your legs, yawning tiredly. Air closes his eyes, pressing a kiss to the back of your neck, and then all is silent.

Your bladder wakes you up, and you struggle to get out of bed, momentarily forgetting, in your half-asleep state, that you fell asleep amid assorted ghouls and other supernatural beings. You slowly slide your leg out of Aether’s one-handed grasp, then wiggle your body upward, trying to avoid jostling either Air or Papa. Finally, you make your way to the edge of the bed and head to the bathroom, only to startle when you open the door and see Johannes standing there.  


You blink in surprise, heart hammering for a split second before calming, and you idly wonder if he can sense that. Whispering, you say, “Hey, Johannes. S-Sorry, I need to…” and you motion for the toilet.  


He silently steps aside for you, then leaves the bathroom. It’s so unlike him—at least, what you know of him—that you can’t help but worry as you take care of yourself and quickly clean up. When you step out of the bathroom, you see him standing at the window, looking out into the inky black of the night.  


You bite your lip, wondering what he’s thinking about. You walk over, padding barefoot across the lush carpet, and wrap your arms around his middle. You press your forehead against his scarred spine and just hug him to you, not saying a word, but offering comfort nonetheless. You can’t begin to know what’s going on in his head, but you want to. You just don’t know how to start.  


“You know what this is?” he asks, his voice low.  


You raise your head a little and look around him. “Ummm....a window?”  


“This is where I was when I first saw you...clawing my way into this room...I had no idea what was about to happen...”  


Your mind flashes back to that first moment, when you heard a thump at the window and turned to see hands grasping the sill, to see the terrifying visage of the king’s personal assassin pulling himself inside. Despite yourself, you freeze against him, and your breaths hit his back faster and shallower. You swallow, forcing yourself to get a grip, and you press a soft kiss to his shoulder blade. “Things worked out, love...” and if your voice trembles a bit you don’t remark on it.  


“Yeah... I suppose....” He turns and looks down at you, eyes glittering. “Except ... did they? You realize I felt the fear that just went through you...I can hear your voice shake.” He frowns a little. “Are you scared of me? Or just scared of the memory?”  


“The memory, love.” You raise a hand, stroking his cheek, and your fingers have the barest hint of a shake to them. “You...you are rather terrifying when you...” You swallow hard as the events of that first day really, truly begin to catch up with you. “When you crawl through a window in...in full makeup...pulling a dagger out of your sleeve...a-and grinning like you were...” Tears flow down your cheeks, though you aren’t aware. “I didn’t know in that moment that...that you were as trapped as I was...”  


Johannes’s head drops in shame. “Air is right. I shouldn’t be near you. Papa and Water are right too ... you haven’t really dealt with what...what I did to you... Everything you said yesterday...it was nice and all, but you don’t have to make up a story to make me feel better, sweetness. If you need me to leave you, I...I will.”  


You never meant to—you didn’t think you were capable—but before you can stop it your hand lashes out and you punch him, square in the jaw. His stumble backwards is more out of surprise than real pain, and the words expressing that surprise die on his lips when he sees the rage in your eyes. “How dare you?!” You go to punch him again, and he lets you, eyes sad as he lets his head get pushed to the side. “How dare you think for one fucking second that I will let you leave me when you and that man over there have taken my heart, ripped it in two, and kept both parts? How dare you think I will let you be selfish enough to run instead of staying here and facing what you did, while watching me face what you did?! Yes, Johannes, I was terrified of you, right up until I saw that flicker of uncertainty under the brainwashing. That’s when I knew there was still a man in there worth saving. So be that fucking man I think you are and don’t you ever, EVER, bring up you leaving again.” You turn, tears of rage and pain trickling down your cheeks, and you run for the bathroom.  


Something clicks in Johannes and he once again moves like a lightning strike, in front of you before you can reach the bathroom door. “That’s rich, coming from the little girl who said much the same thing yesterday—to Air, wasn’t it?—about leaving. Something about being the cause of all the trouble, and you should let us all get back to our lives, wasn’t it?” You raise your hand but this time he catches your wrist before you can strike him a third time. “Ah-ah-ah, not this time, sweetness. No fair attacking me for doing the same thing you did.”  


“You don’t get to lecture me on what’s fucking fair!” You try to tug on your hand, but his grip is like iron, and you finally just slump, hand covering your face as you try to resist the sobs threatening to spill forth. “D-Do you a-actually think I want to leave any of you?!”  


“No more than I actually want to leave you.” He pulls your hand away from your face. “Look at me, sweetness.” He tugs on your wrists until you finally do as he asks. “We’re doing the same damn thing ... giving the other person the chance to back out, to say no I don’t want to do this after all. How is that selfish? Because trust me, if you tell me now that you don’t want me, I’ll go, and it. Will. Kill. Me. But if it’s what you want, I’ll do it and die happy about it.” He gazes down at you, and it feels like he’s burrowing into your soul. “You think Papa and I tore your heart in two? Sweetness, you ripped my heart clean out of my chest. My place is with you...until you tell me it isn’t.”  


You stare up at him, tears still falling down your cheeks, and slowly you step forward and embrace him, and you sob a litany of “don’t go”s and “I love you”s and “I’m sorry’s” into his chest. Your arms are tight around him, as if afraid he’d disappear right there.  


He wraps his arms around you just as tightly, one hand coming up to cradle the back of your head. He buries his face in your hair, and rocks you back and forth gently. When your sobs subside, he lets go of you, pushes you away just enough so that he can look down at you again. “I love you. Now and always.”  


You lean up and kiss him, fingers delving into his hair, and the kiss is desperate—you don’t think you can let go of him right then. You step forward, pressing him back until he hits the wall, and you gasp as he suddenly turns you so you are trapped against him.  


“Why do you have this shirt on?” he murmurs into your mouth. “Why aren’t you naked?” Your hands quickly go to the bottom of the shirt and you yank it off over your head.  


“Is this better?” you gasp as you search for his mouth again.  


“Much,” he answers as he begins to once more devour your mouth.  


You have enough presence of mind after a few minutes to gasp, “Bathroom! Go into the bathroom so we don’t wake them up!”  


“Too late for that,” Papa grumbles, and a pillow flies out of the dark, hitting Johannes upside the head and bouncing off yours on the way down.  


“Good, then we don’t need to move.” Johannes grabs your ass with both hands and lifts you up, and you quickly wrap your legs around his waist. “I want to fuck you right here against this wall,” he growls into your mouth as he slides his erection against you. “I don’t care if I wake up the whole damn church.”  


“D-Don’t fuck me, Johannes...n-not right now.” You cup his cheeks, and for the first time, you let him see your full vulnerability. “I...I need you to make love to me...please...” There was silence from the bed. Either Papa had fallen back asleep, or he knew how important this was. Either way, you were grateful for the lack of snark.  


Johannes’s expression softens and he leans his forehead against yours. “Whatever you want, sweetness, whatever you need.” He kisses you, deep and thorough.  


You kiss him back, moaning softly into his lips. You trust him to hold you up, and so your hands are free to roam, sliding slowly, carefully over his neck and shoulders, as if feeling him for the first time. You touch every scar, every imperfection that, to you, is proof of just how strong Johannes is. You let out a sigh as you tangle your tongue with his.  


He grinds against you, pinning you against the wall with his hips and chest, letting your hardened nipples scrape against his skin, and you mewl at the sensation. You arch your back, looking for more of everything.  


Your legs tighten around his hips, grinding back against him. In that moment, just feeling him like this, everything is perfect. His skin on yours is like silk, his hair brushing your shoulders like feathers. You shudder, and you whisper into his mouth, “You feel so amazing, Johannes...don’t stop touching me....don’t ever stop...” Echoing his words from the other night, you gently wrap his hair around your hand and hold his mouth to yours.  


“Touching you is my reason for being on this planet,” he says in between kisses. He keeps one hand beneath you, helping to hold you up against the wall, and the other hand he brings up, dragging it along your hip, up your side, across your breast, teasing your nipple, up to your neck, to rest their where your pulse is throbbing underneath your skin. “Everything about you is beautiful.”  


You shiver against him, tears spilling over your cheeks again at how beautiful he looks right now, moonlight lighting up the side of his face. Your hand comes down, pressing over his, baring your throat to him. “Oh, Johannes...Johannes...please...please, you need to be inside me...”  


Johannes lifts you higher, so you are looking down at him, and he smiles. “I thought you would never ask, sweetness.” He positions himself at your entrance, and then slowly guides you down, and slowly, so slowly, slides into you.  


You press your face into his neck and bite down to muffle your wail. He feels so good stretching you open, he feels so good against you, so right. Your free hand’s nails dig into his back, anchoring you to him.  


He bottoms out in you, hissing as you clench your inner walls around him. The two of you stay like that for long moments, your breathing shallow and quick. He curses as he finally moves, pulling out slowly, loving the way your walls cling to him, then even more slowly thrusting back inside you, rolling his hips  


His name falls from your lips over and over, and you cling to him, feeling a fire rising and consuming you both. Your teeth in his neck raises goosebumps that you can feel against your own skin. You are so full, you can barely breathe...  


“My goddess,” he whispers in your ear. “My most beautiful goddess.” He moves again, out and back in. “Take me.” Another thrust. “Take all of me.” It feels as though he gets deeper in you with each thrust, each movement, every roll of his hips.  


Something is happening. You can feel your energy roiling in you, though you can no more control it than stop moving against him. You open your eyes and you see flames, pure white, surrounding you both. They don’t hurt, but wherever the flames lick your skin you shiver instead. “Johannes...? J-Johannes, deeper, please!” And you wrap your arms around him as the flames get brighter around you, holding him tight, as tight as you can, trying to make your body and his completely one.  


His grip on you tightens, even as his thrusts seem to get harder, deeper, and a string of whispered curses erupts from him as he presses his mouth against your head, near your ear.  


His pelvic bone grinds on your clit, and you have a split second of your world narrowing before you implode. Your walls strangle his cock as your orgasm shatters you, and the flames surrounding you, instead of spreading, grow brighter and brighter until they light up the room like a star. All the people on the bed wake, eyes wide and unseeing as the pure power flows through them, and then with a shockwave it blinks out. Johannes, after coming down from his high, leans heavily on the wall, holding you against him still. The movement should pull on a scar over his right ass cheek that never healed well, but instead there’s…nothing. His eyes wide, he keeps you in his arms as he rushes into the bathroom, flicking the light on and setting you down on the counter, before turning. All the scars that had crisscrossed his back are...gone.  


“What. The. Fuck.” he breathes. He looks up and sees Papa, Earth, Aether, and Air standing in the doorway, staring incredulously at him. “What...what the hell just happened?”  


Your eyes are drooping, and you smile to him softly. Your single whisper makes him freeze, your lips murmuring, “Whole...” and you pitch to the side, unconscious. Johannes catches you quickly as Earth gasps and scuttles in to help.  


Johannes is cursing up a storm now as he and Earth carry you out of the bathroom and to the bed, and Papa is at your side immediately, assessing you, trying to stay calm, barely succeeding.  


“Fucking hell, wolf, what did you do?” Air bites out.  


“He didn’t do anything, Air, calm yourself,” Papa says, though his voice is a little strained. “Aether, feel her out.” Air makes a sound on his throat and starts pacing in front of the couch, and Earth goes to him, murmuring softly, which makes Air sigh and calm somewhat. He nods to the smaller ghoul, who quickly scuttles to Johannes and slips under his arm.  


Aether closes his eyes, checking you over, and takes a deep breath. “OK, well at least this time, I can sense her, she’s not walled off or completely gone...” He is silent for another minute, then, “She’s here, her energy trail is here, but it is incredibly faint.” Aether finally opens his eyes again and looks at Johannes and Papa. “Whatever she did sapped her strength, big time. She gave, but she didn’t take anything back in return.” He rubs his forehead, as if trying to fight off a headache. “We’re going to need to explain to her the concept of ‘exchange’.”  


Johannes frowns. “Can’t we just pump some of our energy into her to make up for it?”  


“Not when she’s unconscious,” Air says, voice a little too even. “She won’t accept it as her own, and then she’s got foreign energy she can’t use in her body. Which is dangerous. Think of it like white blood cells—her remaining energy would fight off the invading, lose, and...get snuffed out.”  


Johannes pales, guessing what that would mean. He starts to panic. “Well then what the hell do we do? Another dive?”  


Earth pats him gently. “No, not a dive. We...I have to connect her to a natural energy, one she can’t reject. Just...try to stay calm,” the small ghoul says as he sits cross-legged on the bed next to you and begins to hum. After what seems like way too long, Earth begins to glow, a green aura surrounding him, getting brighter and brighter. Finally, when Johannes’s patience is just about ready to break, Earth reaches out and places a hand over your heart.  


You gasp, eyes flying open as energy pours into you. Your eyes begin to glow the same color green, and your back arches off the bed, muscles straining. Papa has to physically restrain Johannes from stopping Earth. After about ten minutes of this, the green color from both you and Earth fades. “Check her now, Aether,” Earth says tiredly.  


Aether does so, and he nods almost immediately. “Much better,” he says approvingly. “Good work, Earth.” The small ghoul nods, and lies down next to you, puts his hand on your stomach, and is asleep in seconds.  


“What the hell did he just do? And why the fuck is everything so fucking freaked out around here all the damn time?” Johannes says.  


Aether smiles. “He accessed earth energy and channeled it into her. Because it’s direct from the earth, her body is able to take it and use it right away. Her levels are much closer to normal now.”  


As Aether explains what happened, Papa moves around Johannes to examine his back. When he had fucked the man earlier, he’d gotten a very good look. The scars had been...horrific. He had been whipped numerous times, not to mention the scars from blades. But now, none of them remain, not even faint lines. He runs a hand over the silky smooth skin and smiles. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen energy heal this well. She’s amazing, and she doesn’t even know how she did it.”  


Johannes closes his eyes and huffs. “Yeah, I don’t know how she did it either, but for fuck’s sake, man.” He turns around and looks Papa in the eyes. “I can’t protect her from this.... She keeps doing shit like this and putting herself in danger, I am going to lose my fucking mind.” And he drops his head to rest on Papa’s shoulder.  


Papa just keeps smiling as he cups the back of Johannes’s head. “Take solace in the fact that she’s not doing it on purpose. Her will is strong enough that her energy makes things happen without her consent.” Unable to stop from touching his newly healed back, Papa’s free hand slides slowly up and down, soothing him. “Which isn’t necessarily good, but...it’s not bad either. Her body knows automatically not to use up all her energy.”  


“Fucking christ,” Johannes mumbles into Papa’s shoulder. Then, as if he is only just realizing it, he says, “She took my scars away.” He lifts his head and stares at Papa again, this time with tears welling in his eyes. “She took them away.”  


Papa’s smile softens, and he presses a hand to the taller man’s cheek. “Yes she did. And your new skin is so soft...I cannot stop touching it.” He moves both hands to his back and shoulders and presses a sweet kiss to the corner of Johannes’s mouth.  


Johannes returns the kiss, just as sweet, and pulls Papa closer to him.  


“What...what just happened?” you ask, sounding sleepy. “How did I get to the bed? Johannes...” and both he and Papa turn to you and are by your side in a second.  


Papa smooths a hand over your hair. “You performed a bit of a miracle tonight, my love.”  


“Wait, what?” You peel your eyes open, looking down to see Earth’s hand on your stomach, the little ghoul sound asleep next to you. You look up at your wolf and the dark pope, frowning. Then Johannes turns, and your jaw drops to see his smooth skin, no longer with the scars that riddled his back. “I did that?! How?!”  


“Magic sex, apparently,” Johannes says with what can only be described as a naughty grin, and Papa elbows him in the side.  


“We aren’t completely sure. Any theories, Aether?”  


Aether rubs the back of his neck as he sits next to you. “The wolf might not be that wrong, actually. My darling girl, do you remember what happened, what you may have been thinking when this ... happened?”  


“I...” You think back, trying to remember what was going through your mind. “I remember that I was desperate for him to stay...for him to just get...” You blush faintly. “Deeper and deeper...at one point I opened my eyes and there was fire...but the fire was white and it didn’t hurt.” You blink up at them. “That’s about it, really.”  


“Hmmmm...” Aether shakes his head. “Well, sex magic is a thing...do you have witches in your family tree by chance?”  


You just look at him. “I don’t really know. I don’t have much of a tree, and my mother has never said anything about my other relatives.”  


“Well, no matter. Next lesson though,” Aether says with as stern a voice as he can manage (which isn’t much), “we’re going to go over energy exchange....as in, don’t give so much without getting some back.”  


“But...how do you take it back? Is it like what I did with the wall in my mind?” You look up at Aether eagerly, your love of learning showing through. “I doubt it’ll be that easy since it won’t be my own energy I’m trying to move. How do you move someone else’s?”  


Papa laughs softly and kisses you to quiet you down. “Okay, okay, my love. Those will be lessons for another day. Right now, we all need to rest, as we only have...” He squints at the alarm clock. “Three hours before we have to get up.”  


Everyone but Earth groans at that announcement and starts piling back onto the bed, and there’s a lot of jostling and bickering as the men try to figure out a way to all snuggle up to you at once.  


You end up on your back, Johannes on your right side curling up to both you and Earth, Papa on your left with his head on your shoulder. (“Don’t drool on me,” you mutter. “I do not drool,” he says, horrified at the very notion you even insinuated he does.) Air is below Papa, holding your left leg, your thigh as a pillow, and Aether is between your legs, using your lower stomach as his own pillow. Slowly everyone settles down and drops off into sleep. Except Johannes...it takes him a long time to fall asleep. His scars...they are really gone...a single tear slides down his cheek, and he presses his face to your hair to try to hide from the feelings gripping his heart tight.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you and your loves hit the road...

A few hours later, everything is chaos. Last-minute packing, instructions, ghouls blinking in and out... You watch all the frantic activity around you with nothing less than shock and awe on your face. _And I am in the middle of it all....who would have ever guessed this would be my life???_ you think.

Papa walks out of the bathroom, a towel around his head and pants on but nothing else, attempting to brush his teeth while also giving orders to a sister who manages transportation. You and Johannes, who don’t have much to begin with except what the sisters bought for you the other morning, are left sitting on the bed, watching them all with wide eyes. Well, you are wide-eyed; Johannes looks bored. “Is it like this for every tour?” you ask him, wondering if his were the same.

Johannes looks around as if noticing the chaos for the first time, and shrugs. “This may be a little crazier than usual because of us and all the extra crap that’s been happening ... but yeah, seems about right.”

“Wow...” Then the impending reality of what is happening hits you, and a grin as wide as Johannes’s splits your face and you squeak in excitement and roll around on the bed. “All the shows! All the fucking shows, holy shit!” Papa looks smug as he pulls a shirt on.

Johannes is smirking as well. “You just don’t seem excited about this, sweetness.” He looks at Papa. “Does she seem unexcited to you?”

“She is the picture of apathy,” Papa replies as he opens a bag on the bed. He opens the nightstand drawer and starts tossing some stuff in, random items, but he does make sure that lube is included. “You’d think she didn’t like Ghost.” 

Earth scuttles by with a bag in each hand, stopping only long enough to press a kiss to yours, Johannes’s, and Papa’s cheeks, before he’s gone. Water runs out after him, yelling, “Wait, you forgot your favorite drumsticks!”

Air blinks in. “We’ve got to go, they’re waiting, and we’re late.” He nods to you and Johannes. “Do you need any help with anything?”

You blink, standing from the bed as Papa starts trying to usher you and Johannes out. “No, I’ve got it. I just have the one bag.” You sling said bag over your shoulder and smile to him. Air smiles back and kisses your forehead as you as all walk down the hall. You swallow faintly, knowing this is the first time you’re leaving the church since your arrival, and while you’ve only been there a few days, your life has literally changed overnight. Nothing is the same—and neither is traveling. Three cars wait out front, and you get in the one with Papa, Johannes, and...one ghoul you haven’t seen yet. He is of a height with Papa, with bright green eyes that look at you kindly. “Nice to finally meet you.” His voice is the exact same as Papa’s, the only difference being the Swedish accent.

You are just about to apologize when you realize you do in fact know this ghoul. “You’re ... are you Special?” you ask, feeling slightly hysterical at the thought of meeting this particular ghoul. You’ve always loved all the ghouls, but after watching countless interviews, you have a particular affection for Special Ghoul that you can’t explain to anyone, not even fellow rabid Ghost fans.

He chuckles. “Depends on if you’re asking in a polite way or not.” He takes your hand and presses it to where the mouth on the mask would be. “I have heard a lot about you, goddess. You seem to be just as special as I am.”

You try very hard not to devolve into flailing fangirl mode, but you can feel it happening despite your best efforts. “I-I..umm I am...wow, I didn’t expect to get to meet you, this is ... oh my gods...” _Ugh, shut up!! You sound so stupid,_ you think.

Papa laughs softly. “You’ve met the entirety of the band, plus the lead singer for Avatar, and it’s our spokesman who makes you speechless? I almost feel jealous, don’t you, my wolf?” He grins at Johannes, who chuckles and holds his hands up as if to say, “I don’t know, man.”

“Well, perhaps if you would do your own interviews, Papa,” Special shoots back good-naturedly. The ghoul pats your hand softly. “I do not mind, my dear. Enthusiasm is good, it’s why I do this job.” He beams down at you and you have to remember how to breathe.

You open your mouth, but nothing comes out; your blush is fast and very red, and you bury your face in Johannes’s side as Papa and Special begin to discuss tour details and interview schedules. “I am such an idiot!” you whisper.

Johannes pats your head as he struggles not to laugh, but in more of the ‘he thinks you’re adorable’ vein than ‘he thinks you’re an idiot’ vein. 

The car ride to the airport is surprisingly quick, and as Papa gets out he puts a pair of sunglasses on. He tries to keep his two-toned vision under wraps when he’s out among the general public, though the face-paint gives him a lot of odd looks, as do the ghoul masks.

Johannes has you practically under wraps as you move through the airport. His eyes are everywhere, watching everyone around you and Papa, and even making sure all the ghouls are all right as well. He’s taking his job as self-appointed bodyguard very seriously, and you smile to yourself at how cute it all is.

Moving parallel through the airport, however, is one of John’s agents. He gets eyes on all of you, doing his job well to make sure that he seems just weirded out, before going to a bathroom and pulling out a phone. Unaware, you make it onto the plane with everyone uneventfully. You’re seated in between Papa and Johannes, though you are slightly pouting you don’t get the window seat.

“I don’t want you near any window, to be honest, sweetness,” Johannes says in the face of your pout. “Papa and I agree the best way to keep you safe is to keep you from being seen as much as possible. And that means no window seats.”

“Johannes, it’s on a plane! The only things that could possibly see me are birds!” 

Papa, idly flipping through a _Cosmo_ magazine to laugh at the sex advice, murmurs, “And have you forgotten they’re shapeshifters?” You pale slightly, swallowing, and your silence says that you had, actually.

After a few minutes, you say quietly, “You’re not going to let me out of your sight for more than a minute at a time, are you?” Johannes merely grins and kisses you.

Papa chuckles. “Better get used to peeing fast, my love.” You swat his leg softly, grinning into Johannes’s kiss. The flight is uneventful, minus the ghouls playfully throwing paper balls at each other. They also start an impromptu jam session, having been allowed to take their instruments on the plane. Papa and Johannes sing together, which makes you melt into your seat.

_How is this my life?_ you ask yourself as you listen to the two of them. You find yourself asking that question quite a bit over the course of the day as you move from the plane to the airport to a new set of vehicles and on to the evening’s venue.

The tour bus is already waiting for them when they get there. The roadies start moving the band’s luggage onto there while Papa and the ghouls head inside for sound check. You and Johannes are free to take a seat wherever.

You watch with your head on Johannes’s shoulder. “I really can’t believe that I’m sitting here watching sound check. This is unreal.”

He smiles and kisses your head. “It’s refreshing hearing that, to be honest. I’ve been touring with...the band so long that all this is second nature.”

“You know, I didn’t even think of that,” you say. “If you’re not... with the king, what happens to Avatar?”

He goes quiet for a long moment, and you look up at him to see his jaw clenched, and an almost hopeless look in his eyes. Finally he whispers, “I don’t know. I...” He closes his eyes. “When I wasn’t...following orders, I was performing. It was my life, music is my life. I...” His head lowers. “I don’t know what I will do without it.”

Your heart aches for him, and you wrap your arms around him. “Oh my wolf, I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say. Or how to make that right for you.” 

Johannes shakes his head. “Sweetness, you can’t fix everything, not even with magic sex.” He kisses you. “I’ll...I’ll just have to figure something out...”

You smile to him after sinking into his kiss. “Maybe you could talk to Papa about doing something with him. People loved you two together on the plane. You both sound incredible harmonizing like that.” 

He blinks, and seems to really think about it. “You think that we’d be good enough to perform on stage together?” 

You nod enthusiastically. “Absolutely!”

He smiles, a half-grin that seemed a little uncertain. “Well, maybe... it’s something to think about...” 

You lay your head on his shoulder again. “I think it would be amazing. I mean, I guess I’m biased, but I still think it would be amazing.”

He just smiles and leans his cheek on your hair, fingers coming up to brush over the soft strands. He hums softly, and after a minute he says, “I do want to use your hair in a handjob.” You burst out laughing and blush, swatting playfully at his shoulder. The crew roll out the black and white checkered floor, and slowly the stage for Ghost takes shape. You bounce in your chair, excitement rising.

One of the crew hurries over to you and Johannes. “They want you backstage.” 

You sit up, instantly concerned. “Is something wrong?” 

The crew member shrugs. “I don’t know. I was just told to find you two and get you backstage.” You can’t help but feel a little panicked, and you jump up to follow the roadie, Johannes close behind you.

The roadie brings you back, and as you walk you can’t help but look around. This venue is beautiful, an old-time theater that had been renovated recently. Even backstage is gorgeous, made even more so by the man in papal robes standing there waiting.

You stop dead in your tracks, so suddenly that Johannes almost slams into you. “Wow.” You stare at the dark pope, resplendent in his stage finery. “Just....wow. You are.... wow.”

Papa smiles to you and presses a soft kiss to your lips. “I know.” He winks to you playfully, then kisses Johannes’s cheek. “I’d like both of you to stay backstage, all right? I’ve already told my crew to keep an eye on you both, just for added safety.”

Papa ushers you both into the dressing room, where everything is chaos again as the ghouls are in various states of readiness. Earth is drumming on the wall, Water is shadow-boxing, and Fire and Aether are arguing over costumes. The only calm one is Air, of course, who is sitting on a beat-up couch, eyes closed, his fingers playing an imaginary keyboard.

You can’t help a fond grin as you look at them all, and you can’t wait to see everyone do their thing onstage. You go over and sit next to Air, your grin turning slightly mischievous as your fingers attempt to mimic what his are doing. One of his eyes opens and looks down at you, and he half smiles before, to your delight, slowing down his motions so you can follow.

“Do you play, little one?” he asks as he watches your fingers move. 

“If by play you mean ‘well,’ then no. I am totally self-taught, on the piano anyway.” You study his fingers intently. “I’m a better singer than I am a pianist, which isn’t saying much. I always dreamed of doing something like this, being in a band, but I was always too...scared to try, I guess, so I became a fangirl instead.”

Papa smiles as he watches from his position next to Johannes. “Sing something, my love.” 

Your eyes widen as all the ghouls clamber in agreement. “O-Oh, no, really, I-I don’t think I can,” you stutter, face going red.

Johannes perches next to you on the arm of the couch and strokes your hair. “We’d all love to hear you sing, sweetness. Really.” 

You shake your head. “I...I really can’t. Not when you’re all...looking at me and...expecting it.” You blush harder. “I’m sorry,” you whisper.

Fire smiles and pats your thigh as he walks past. “We’re not going to force you. Some other time. Maybe you can sing with Papa instead of by yourself.” 

You flush and look down. “M-maybe...I don’t want to bring him down though...” 

Water pipes up cheerfully, “Papa has enough talent for both of you!” 

The dark pope straightens a little before deflating as Fire quips back, “His ego’s big enough without any more stroking!”

“Oh, my love,” you say, trying not to laugh even though everyone else is chuckling. You get off the couch and go to him, taking him by his gloved hands. “I’ll stroke your ego any time you want,” you say quietly, “just say the word.”

Papa smirks and leans down next to your ear. “Little goddess, you are in for it after the show...” You shiver at his tone, and gasp as he nips your ear. A knock sounds at the door, and you all hear, “Ten minutes, Papa!” You blink, not believing that much time passed already. “Thank you!” he calls out, then turns to his ghouls. “Ave Ghost. Ave Satanas.” They repeat it back to him as one, and with a last kiss they file out.

Papa turns back to you. “You and Johannes should go with George, he’ll take you to a spot off to the side to watch the show. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be out in the crowd.” 

Johannes nods. “Good. I don’t want her out there...a crowd like this is easy to get lost in, and I might miss something, or someone.”

You smile and nod. “Whatever you two want. Always.” Papa smiles and cups your cheek, and then he’s striding down the hall, robes billowing impressively. You sigh at the sight, leaning against Johannes. “He’s so beautiful...”

Johannes snickers. “Yeah, yeah, he’s just the most beautiful thing on the planet.” 

You nudge him. “You must think so, or else the two of you wouldn’t ...well, you know...” and you’re blushing again. 

He grins, just a little...enough for you to see that he agrees with you. “Come on, sweetness, let’s find George and get into our spot. I’m sure you don’t want to miss anything.”

You squeak and take off in a trot, making Johannes do the same to catch up. You find George, who leads you to a spot backstage where you can watch the action. You smile as you lean back against Johannes, remembering being in a crowd like this just a few days ago. The lights dim and the crowd goes nuts. The final setups are made as “Masked Ball” plays, and you give Earth a thumbs-up as he scuttles off to the drum kit. He beams at you, and the rest of the ghouls take their places, and the show begins.

Ninety minutes later you are sweaty, teary-eyed, hoarse, and exhilarated. “That was AMAZING!” you squeal as you throw your arms around Johannes’s neck. He wraps his arms around your waist and spins you about, caught up in your excitement in spite of himself.

“Back to the dressing room?” he suggests, and you nod happily.

The door slams open as Johannes walks in, lips attached to yours. You are so wound up from the show, watching Papa and the ghouls perform, that you can’t wait. You shut the door after him and your hands go straight for his belt.

You push Johannes up against the nearest wall, and in no time you pull his pants down as you sink to your knees and take his cock in your mouth.

He sinks his fingers into your hair and pulls, hard enough to sting. “You want to choke on my cock, little girl? I’m gonna use your throat, and if you’re good I’ll make you come...” he growls as he moves your head back and forth along his shaft. You moan loudly into his cock, hand delving into your pants. “Ah ah ah, hands where I can fucking see them!” You ignore him, desperate for friction, and he growls dangerously and suddenly you’re on your back on the floor. He pins your hands above your head and straddles your torso, then shoves his cock back into your mouth. “Try that again and you get my fucking belt.”

Your muffled whimpers sound desperate as you take each of his thrusts, the head of his cock hitting the back of your throat every time. Your hips buck, looking for friction and pressure.

Neither of you notice the door opening, or the ghouls filing in, or how they sit on the couch and undo their pants to watch the show. All you notice is Johannes, above you, a snarl on his face and his cock in your throat, and you can’t stop the keening wail at the sight. Then Papa steps in, and he smirks and quickly shuts and locks the door. He is in his suit, looking ravishing. “Starting the party early, I see...”

Water is already palming his cock, thrusting lightly into his hand. “It’s going to be a hell of a tour this time around,” he groans as he watches you and Johannes on the floor.

“Definitely nicer than the last one,” Fire agrees as he considers getting closer to the action before them.

Aether groans as he too strokes himself. “How are they always so beautiful together?” Earth whimpers and is the first to slip off the couch, working on your pants desperately. Air simply watches, but his cock is leaking, giving away how much he’s enjoying the show.

Somehow you realize what Earth is trying to do, and you do what you can to help him, which, given how Johannes has you pinned, isn’t a lot, but you manage to plant your feet flat on the floor and raise your hips enough that with some frantic tugging, Earth is able to pull your jeans down over your hips. Your rhythm around Johannes’s cock falters a little bit, and he mutters, “Don’t stop now, sweetness.”

As soon as there is enough room, Earth dives in, hooking your legs over his shoulders, your pants and panties dangling off one leg. You cry out as he licks you eagerly, shoving his tongue inside you as far as possible, moaning deeply into your cunt. You try to keep a rhythm on the wolf’s cock, but the oral is too distracting, and you need to breathe. So you push Johannes back and pull up your shirt and bra, pushing your tits up around his cock.

Johannes growls at the sight of his cock moving between your breasts, and that growl is echoed by the other ghouls. “That looks...damn good,” Johannes groans. You try to answer, but Earth’s tongue on your clit steals the words from your lips and all you can do is wail.

Earth whimpers, hips rutting against the floor, trying to get any sort of friction. Air is still growling on the couch, hand squeezing himself tightly. Fire and Water are bucking hard into their hands. Papa groans at the sight, coming over in front of Johannes and tugging his hair, pulling him down to his own weeping cock.

As soon as Johannes opens his mouth, Papa feeds his cock to the wolf, and you watch from below, enraptured at the sight of Papa’s cock moving in and out of Johannes’s mouth, his pace matching that of the cock moving between your breasts. Your gasps of pleasure get louder and more intense as Earth slides two fingers inside your cunt while circling your clit with his tongue....every inch of you feels like it’s on fire with lust and need.

The ghouls on the couch all groan collectively, both at feeling your need through your energy and watching Papa face-fuck Johannes. The dark pope growls, fingers delving into his hair to keep him still as he thrusts into the other man’s mouth.

Fire swears. “I can’t just watch. I have to...” and he slides off the couch and crawls over to Earth. “Budge up,” he whispers as he spreads your leg wider, and Earth moves over enough so that Fire is able to squeeze in. He slowly slides a finger in you, next to Earth’s two, and you cry out. Your cry turns into a long wail as Fire’s tongue joins Earth’s and they are both licking your clit.

Water and Aether also move, taking your hands off your breasts and putting them around their cocks. Only Air is left on the couch, watching the proceedings with dark eyes, his cock straining and weeping into his hand. Papa keeps it up, touches alternating between hard and rough and tender and loving on Johannes’ hair. He is getting close, though, watching Fire and Earth work your clit. The sensation of two tongues on your clit is indescribable. You aren’t going to last long at this rate, not at all. You can already feel the coil in your stomach tightening.

Papa uses his grip on Johannes’s hair to help him move back up your body enough so that his dick can once again reach your mouth. The tip pushes against your lips, seeking entrance, and you open your mouth. He begins to thrust in you, short, quick movements, and your tongue swirls around his tip with each thrust.

Earth and Fire suddenly suck on either side of your clit, and that combined with Johannes’s taste and smell filling your senses is your undoing. You scream into his cock as you come, and your mind-shattering orgasm sets off a chain reaction: all the ghouls come at the same time, Water and Aether coating your hands, Fire and Earth crying out into your pussy as they come into their boxers, Air coating his hand and stomach. Papa roars and fills Johannes’s mouth, as Johannes fills yours.

You lie there for long seconds, breathing shakily, legs trembling under Fire and Earth, who are still taking turns lapping at your entrance, tasting you, muttering to each other. You don’t know how you’re going to get up because you’re pretty sure you’ve melted into the floor.

After a few minutes you’re aware of someone cleaning your hands, and a mouth gently kissing your lips, lapping up what little cum dribbles out. Papa pulls back, smiling softly to you. “You are radiant, my goddess..” You smile to him, and shudder as one of the ghoul’s tongues hits your clit. You have a feeling they don’t want to move away.

“They want me to come again, don’t they?” you whisper, staring into Papa’s two-toned gaze and feeling more than a little dazed. 

“Can you blame them? Making you come is a privilege and a treat,” Papa says with a soft laugh. 

“Will you ... will you fuck me while they make me come again?” You cup his face with both your hands. “I need you inside me.”

He nods. “I will. But when we are on the bus. Right now we must finish cleaning up. There are fans waiting after all.” He kisses your forehead and looks down to the ghouls still lapping at you. “That is enough, my ghouls.” Drunk on your taste, they don’t listen, and he sighs. “Johannes, will you get them off her please?”

Johannes nods, gives you a quick kiss, and grins as he turns toward the two ghouls at your pussy. “Come on, my dudes, let her up.” He uses his fingers to break the connection of their lips to your folds, making your hips twitch as he gently moves them back and off you. At their slurred protests, Johannes says, “She’s made a special request and you’re part of it, but we gotta move the party first.” You giggle as you watch your wolf corral the ghouls. 

“Who would have thought, right?” you ask him, sounding loopy yourself as he helps you stand and put yourself to rights. 

Johannes chuckles. “Yeah, it’s a new life, that’s for sure. Come on, let’s get to the bus before they go out to meet fans ... I don’t want you in that crush.”

You nod to him, kiss Papa and the ghouls again (Earth is looking a little embarrassed, and you smile and give him an extra smooch, which makes him perk up), and head out with Johannes. The fans are already lined up outside, and someone suddenly shouts, “Hey, aren’t you Johannes from Avatar?!” Cries of surprise ring out, people start pushing forward, and you look up at your wolf in fear.

“Shit,” he says under his breath. But outwardly he smiles and signs some autographs. “No pictures tonight, sorry, guys,” he says as he signs a few more items. Then word starts that Fire is coming out to the line and the fans move away from you and Johannes, and he takes the opportunity to bustle you onto the bus as quick as he can. “Fuck, I actually forgot that I’m recognizable,” he says as he directs you to the back of the bus.

You laugh as you sit down on the bed, leaning back on your hands as you watch Johannes toe his boots off. “You’re so cute when you’re with your fans, love.” Then you sober slightly. “Can...can I look at your back again? I didn’t get much of a chance last night or this morning.”

He nods, and peels off his shirt, sitting down next to you and taking a deep breath. You sit up and slide your hands all over his smooth skin. “I...I just...wow. I still can’t believe it. And it’s so soft. Almost like velvet...”

You can’t help but lean forward and press your cheek to his skin. He is indeed like velvet, warm velvet that lives and breathes and is yours... 

He turns in your arms, and his eyes are softer than you’ve ever seen. “I haven’t thanked you for that...not properly.” His fingers smooth through your hair (having a lover with a hair kink means that you never, ever have snarls or knots), and his lips brush over your neck. “Once this tour is done, my goddess, I am spending a full day eating your pussy and fucking you and pampering you until neither one of us can move, and I can’t open my jaw anymore...and even that won’t be enough...”

You’re crying and laughing at the same time as you move closer and end up sitting on his lap. “That sounds absolutely decadent.” You lay your head against his chest as he continues to stroke and comb your hair with his long fingers. “I’m glad I was able to do that for you even though I don’t know how I did it.”

He smiles against your hair. “I feel...free... For the first time in a long, long time I feel free. It’s...thrilling...and also a little scary.” His arms wrap tight around you and he buries his face in your hair. “Other than staying with you and with Papa I don’t...I don’t know what to do now...”

You wrap your arms around him, stroking his smooth back. “Well...the good news is you don’t have to figure it all out right now. You can just...take your time and think and breathe... and eventually you’ll find your way.” You rain little kisses across his chest. “And we’ll help as much or as little as you want.”

“Good.” He leans down, nuzzling his nose against yours before capturing your lips in a possessive kiss. And that’s where you are an hour later when Papa, Fire, and Earth all pile into the small bedroom, though by then you are definitely missing your shirt as well.

Earth hums as he takes in the two of you. “They just....well. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like they get more beautiful every time I see them.” He looks at Papa. “Is it just me?”

Papa smiles and puts a hand on Earth’s shoulder. “It’s not just you. They are magnificent together...” Earth nods happily, eager to taste you again. “They seem wrapped up in each other for now. Would you like to just observe for a moment?” 

“Papa,” Fire all but whines, impatient. “I’ve had her taste on my tongue for the past hour. I need to taste her again...she needs to come on our mouths...”

Papa sighs. “Always the impatient one. Give them a moment, Fire. The anticipation is good for you.”

Fire grumbles, “Seems to me they’ve already had a whole hour of moments,” but he’s also sort of smiling as well, so Papa just ignores him, leans against the door, and crosses his arms while he watches Johannes move from kissing your lips to trailing feathery light kisses along your jawline to your earlobe.

You shudder in pleasure, goosebumps raising on your skin. You tilt your head for him, hips rolling slowly and gently into his. You reach behind you and undo your bra, tossing it to the side, needing to feel your skin fully on his. Your hands go immediately back into his hair, holding him to your neck firmly.

Johannes lets his hands move from your hips up to your breasts, cupping them gently and dragging his thumbs across the hardened nipples while he sucks a mark into your neck, and you hiss at his caresses, arching your back.

Earth can’t hold back at your noise. He gets on the bed behind you, ignoring Papa’s attempt to get him back, and slides his lips up your spine in a feather-light caress. “No fair!” Fire exclaims and quickly follows suit. Papa pinches the bridge of his nose, muttering something in Italian that no one hears.

You gasp with a little laugh at the end. “It’s ok, Papa, I don’t...don’t mind at all,” you say as you hold your hand out toward him, beckoning Papa to come closer to you. 

Papa smiles as he takes your hand. “Whatever my goddess wants.” He kneels beside you and kisses you deeply, fingers delving into your hair to keep you at his mouth. 

“Papa...I need to taste her again...” Fire moans against your lower back. “Her taste...it’s intoxicating...” He drags his tongue over the curve of your hip eagerly.

“I know, dear Fire, I know...” Papa murmurs into your mouth. “But if memory serves, our goddess wants you and Earth to make her come with your talented tongues while I sink my cock inside her beautiful cunt ... did I get that right, my goddess?” 

Your answer is a gasp and a nod as Johannes pinches your nipples. “Yes, Papa, that’s what I want...please.” 

“Mmmm-hmmm,” he murmurs. “Well, that will require some...repositioning, won’t it?”

Desperately you strip, clothes tossed everywhere, and you lay Papa on the bed before slowly sinking down on his cock and lying down, your back against Papa’s chest, your legs stretched out before you. Your movements are jerky and eager, and you cry out as you get stretched by Papa’s always impressive girth. Fire all but throws himself between your legs, but he has enough courtesy to leave room for Earth.

The ghouls’ tongues begin to flick your clit as Johannes returns his attention to your breasts. Papa’s hands go to your waist and help you move up and down his cock.

You wail, squeezing Papa hard already. He groans, fingers digging into your hips as he moves you on him. You arch into Johannes’s mouth, fingers digging into his scalp, other hand resting on Earth’s head. Fire moans into your pussy, both ghouls quickly becoming drunk on you again.

Your thighs quiver as Papa’s cock hits that sweet spot inside you in just the right way, and you feel your insides tighten, getting close to exploding...

Papa hisses as he feels you tighten. “Already? You are going to be the death of me, my love...” Both ghouls suddenly make a fluttering motion against your clit, and you are gone. Johannes leans forward and drinks your screams, tongue plundering your mouth as you writhe on top of Papa.

“Don’t stop, my ghouls,” Papa groans. “Keep pleasuring her...I am curious ....” he rolls his hips against you, “how many times she can come before I do.” All you can do is wail into Johannes’s mouth... You know Papa’s curiosity means you are in for several more orgasms before he finally comes.

“I don’t think...we could stop...even if we wanted to,” Fire growls, tongue lapping up your juices flowing out around Papa’s cock. Earth is beyond words, so drunk on your taste and the way he can feel your clit throb...you scream his name, all their names as the small ghoul sucks your clit.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” Johannes murmurs into your mouth. “I wish you could see yourself...taking everything we can give you...coming so hard...” He takes one of your nipples in his mouth and bites on it before swirling his tongue soothingly around it, and you feel another orgasm building up.

Your fingers dig into Johannes’s and Earth’s hair as you come again, squeezing Papa’s cock hard. He groans loudly, hips all but slamming yours, hitting that sweet spot and making you squirt over Fire’s face. The ghoul growls and licks up everything he can, Earth whimpering as he too tastes your cum.

Johannes takes your other nipple in his mouth and repeats his actions, biting it then licking it soothingly, and your cries grow hoarse as the ghouls are relentless on your clit, and Papa continues to slam into you.

You’re not sure how long this goes on, how many times you come before you feel Papa empty himself inside you. The ghouls’ faces are absolutely covered in you, and your nipples are pleasantly sore and swollen from Johannes’s attention. You’re floating in a sea of pleasure, all but incoherent to what’s going on around you.

You start to slip off of Papa’s chest, but Johannes is there to grab you before you fall, and he murmurs in your ear, “I have you, I won’t let you go,” as your whole body trembles. He supports your weight as the ghouls finally take their mouths off you and watch as Papa carefully pulls out of you and his cum dribbles out in spurts.

Fire flops onto the bed, panting hard, tongue trying to lick up as much of your juices still on his face as possible. Earth sees Papa’s cum sliding out and moans at the sight, a soft blush painting his cheeks pink. Papa himself is gasping for breath, his softening cock still twitching, his orgasm having been nearly as strong as yours. He can’t even open his eyes after doing a show and then all that. He blindly reaches out and manages to take your hand though, and with no more waiting he falls asleep.

“Can one of you guys get me a towel or something to clean her up?” Johannes asks the ghouls quietly, and Earth is quick to help. He and Johannes work together to clean you as Johannes continues to hold you up. Then he gently settles you next to Papa, and you cuddle up to him, still holding his hand. Johannes snugs up next to you, laying his arm over the both of you.

Fire rolls off the bed and goes to his bunk, needing to take care of himself. Earth gently slips on the bed behind Johannes, snuggling up to his back, cheek pressing to the wolf’s skin. “It is really soft,” the small ghoul whispers happily. Johannes can’t help but smile and slip his leg back over Earth’s, cuddling him as best he can as well. All of you fall asleep, and when you wake up, only Johannes next to you, you feel the bus moving and wonder how long you’ve been on the road.

You stroke his hair as you lie there, thinking about your first day on tour, and smiling to yourself.

You press a kiss to his forehead and slip out of his arms, pulling on some clothes and going to find some breakfast. The ghouls and Papa all greet you warmly, and you get a kiss from each of them as someone presses a bowl of cereal into your hands.

You curl up on the bench seat next to Earth and ask, “Where are we going to be tonight?” The ghouls all look at each other...no one is quite sure.

Papa looks up from a newspaper, a pair of reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. “We’re going to be in Albany tonight. It’s another theater-type venue, just as beautiful as the last.”

“Oh, nice. I’ve never been there. Maybe I can look around,” you say. Several of the ghouls look up, worried expressions on their faces. 

Papa frowns. “I doubt we’ll have that much time. And I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be out roaming these unfamiliar cities. This isn’t like being at the church, ghuleh. And if the king has people out looking for you...”

You sigh, deflating. “Yeah, I guess you’re right...” But the first seeds of frustration take root in your heart. 

The trip is long, uneventful, and boring as hell. By the time two hours pass, you are ready to climb the walls.

By concert time, those feelings of boredom and frustration are forgotten, and you and Johannes are backstage once again. The concert is just as good as last night’s, and you are left cheering and breathless once again. 

Many miles away, however, someone isn’t having a good time at all. Kungen looks down at the picture of Johannes, smiling as he signs autographs, with the woman he was sent to kill behind him, smiling at the man with a loving expression. His whole inner circle looks on with sinking hearts. “...This was in Philadelphia?”

John bows his head, hating that he has been the one to show this to his king. “Yes. My man there says he refused to take pictures with fans, but he signed several items and then...” The spymaster clears his throat, obviously wishing he didn’t have to continue. 

“And then what?” The king’s tone is deadly quiet and controlled. 

“He and the woman boarded the band’s tour bus and stayed there.” John looks at a spot just over his king’s shoulder. “As far as we know, they left with Emeritus and his ghouls.”

Kungen sits down, steepling his fingers and pressing his forehead to him. The room grows icy, deadly silent. “At the first opportunity I want this woman brought in. We will bring her here, convince her we are to be trusted, and figure out how she put this spell over our assassin. First, I want to see why she is so important to him suddenly. Second, I want her killed and her body dumped in front of Johannes and Emeritus.”

Both the spymaster and the king’s general nod, but they look at each other, eyes gleaming with trepidation. Henrik takes a step back. “Your majesty...” 

“What is it, Henrik?” 

Henrik bows his head. “Forgive me.” 

Kungen stands. “No, tell me. Do you see a problem with this plan? You’re one of my advisors for a reason. Advise.” 

Henrik is silent, then, “I agree we need to know what she did to Johannes. But ... is there a possibility that Johannes has a reason for not killing her? His judgment has always been sound.” 

“Not lately,” the king replies.

Henrik nods. “That is my point, sir. Perhaps there is something about this woman that he found out about, that makes her too valuable to kill.” 

John frowns. “I have dug into the woman’s past. She is nothing very special. Though...” He sighs. “I could not find much on her family. It is like most of her line just...never existed.”

“She’s just a human, with few family connections.” The king’s expression is grim but resolute. “Not to mention whatever she did to Johannes. All the more reason to be rid of her.”

“But, Your Majesty, we don’t know for sure. Maybe she didn’t do anything. Or maybe it’s Emeritus ...maybe he is the one who has bewitched Johannes, not the woman. And if that’s the case...” 

The king whirls on Henrik. “If I didn’t know better, I would think that maybe this woman has done something to you.”

Henrik, somehow, pales further. He holds his hands up, choosing his words carefully. “My lord. In your wisdom, you know that I’ve never met her. I am simply trying to explore all avenues before...” He swallows hard, looking down, despair filling his eyes. “Before giving the best of your inner circle up as a traitor.” The others are solemn, looking down, not wanting to see their friend gone, not like this. Better to have died in a fight.

The king paces back and forth. “Henrik, I appreciate your position. Johannes is ... well, you know what he is to us. But treason is treason, no matter how we get there. I’ve given my command. Get it done.”

Everyone salutes and makes for the exit. Henrik strides quickly down the hallway, and once he is out of earshot of the king, he claps a hand over his mouth to stifle the wail of despair that has been steadily building.

Tim, the king’s general, comes up behind him, claps him on the back. “You’d better tread a bit more carefully, my old friend.” 

Henrik quickly schools his features, turns to face Tim with a blank expression. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Tim snorts. “The king was ready to jump down your throat, Henrik.” He puts both hands on the other man’s shoulders. “I know you’re worried. So am I. But...but you can’t let it make you careless.”

Henrik looks around, then looks at the floor. “None of this makes sense, Tim. None of it. Johannes wouldn’t... There has to be something we’re missing.” 

Tim frowns. “That may be so...but we’ve been given orders, and we have to follow them. Unless you want to share Johannes’s fate.”

Henrik’s jaw twitches, but he nods. “You are right. Thank you.” He forces a small smile and pats Tim on the cheek. “I will see you at dinner. I must return to the king.” He turns and strides back down the hall, smile dropping, the cries he wants to let loose trapped in the cage he has around his heart.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the king makes his move...

You almost don’t answer the knock on the door...almost pretend to be asleep...but finally you roll over on the bed and say, “Come in.” 

Johannes peers around the door, then slowly steps in. “Are you sick?” 

“No. Why? Do I look sick?”

“Not exactly .... but you’ve been holed up in here since last night. Haven’t been hanging with everyone else, which is...different.” He sits next to you, lightly rubs your leg. “Earth is pacing. He thinks you’re mad.”

Two weeks have passed since that second show, and while every night that Ghost plays has been amazing and filled your heart with joy, the in-between has been...less than fun.

“I’m....I don’t know. I love seeing them perform every night, but no one warned me that touring can be so fucking boring on the road. And since I’m not allowed to fucking do anything...I’m stir crazy, Johannes. I know, I know, it’s for my safety, but that doesn’t help when I’ve done everything there is to be done on this damn bus and I’m left staring at a wall.” You groan and pull the pillow over your head.

Johannes chuckles. “I guess nobody thought to mention the boredom. We’re all used to it, so it just didn’t...” He sighs. “I’m sorry. But you know, it might be more entertaining to hang out with everyone else, instead of moping by yourself.”

“I’m not moping,” you mutter, clearly moping. Then you sigh and sit up, hugging the pillow to your chest. “I just...I feel trapped, love... I know the risks...but we’re going to be in DC! I’ve always wanted to go to the Smithsonian, Johannes, and...and I can’t...”

“Sweetness, I know,” he says as he gently reaches out and runs his fingers through your hair. “I know how disappointed you are--” 

“Actually, no, I don’t think you do know.” You huff, then, “Can’t we go for just a bit, while they’re running sound check? We can put our hair up in hats, and ...” 

“We already went over this. And I don’t want to argue again.”

You stare at him, your eyes welling with tears you try so hard to stop, then you lie back down and roll over, pulling the blankets up over your head. “Just go away...go make sure Earth is okay...tell him I’m not mad at him...”

“I think he’d rather hear it from you,” Johannes says. He watches the you-shaped lump for a bit, runs his hand up your back, considers insisting on snuggling you into a better mood. “I really want you to come out and sit with everybody.”

“No,” you say, not wanting everyone to see you on the verge of frustrated and angry tears. You pull the blanket tighter around you. “I’d just bring everyone down right now.” Your hand reaches out from under the blanket and snags a tissue, pulling it underneath the covers with you.

“Sweetness, you’re bringing everyone down by not being out there with us,” Johannes says, starting to feel a little frustrated himself.

You sit up, scowling at him. “Fucking fine.” Ignoring the tears on your face, you get off the bed and stomp out the door, down the aisle, and sit down on the couch, glaring straight ahead with your arms crossed. Everyone stops and stares at you, and Water opens his mouth to ask if you’re all right, but the glare you send him makes him shut it with a soft snap.

Johannes appears in the entryway, and Papa looks at him, questions in his eyes. Johannes just shakes his head. Earth quietly sits on the opposite end of the couch from you, and slowly...really slowly...moves an inch closer to you every few minutes. The ghouls, meanwhile, continue their conversation, which devolves into busting on each other, which you’ve learned is their favorite way to spend their time on the bus. You resist for a while, but catch yourself snickering at Fire’s snark.

Papa sees you snickering and smiles, glad that at least you can still laugh at the ghouls. He sees what Earth is doing and how he’s almost to you and he bites his lip against a laugh. He keeps an ear out as to what the ghouls are talking about as well, making sure no one says anything too horrible. He glances at Johannes, who hasn’t taken his eyes off you, and his smile turns into a bit of a frown. He knows the other man is worried about you and your unhappiness. But Papa doesn’t really know what can be done about it.

It takes a while, but Earth finally gets close enough to you that he can touch you...but he hesitates. Without a word, you beckon him over with a nod of your head, and in a flash he is next to you, head on your shoulder. “Please don’t be mad...” he mutters.

“I’m not mad at you, or really anyone here, Earth,” you say soothingly, caressing his face. “I’m just...frustrated.” You can’t help a smile at the small ghoul’s antics though—cute enough to lift your spirits at least a little.

You find yourself joining in and laughing in spite of yourself, and you almost feel like yourself....until road signs make it clear you’re in DC, and you’re annoyed again. When the bus stops at the venue, you go back to the bedroom and stay there until the last possible minute. 

Finally, Johannes comes in. “If you want to see the show you need to come inside now.” You do, grudgingly, following Johannes off the bus with a definite scowl on your face.

Lost in your own bubble of anger, you don’t notice the person snapping a picture, pretending to take a selfie. They send it off to John’s phone, and John quickly heads for the king’s rooms.

Kungen looks up at John’s hurried entrance. “Is this it then? Did they get her?” 

John halts. “No...but I think our opportunity is coming.” He hands the king his phone. “Looks like someone is displeased.” 

Kungen examines the picture, takes in your scowl, and the distance you’re keeping from Johannes. “Stupid quarrel?” he asks. 

“Maybe, but she has been looking unhappier by the day in the photos. My man reports that she is not with any of them as much as she was. Johannes still watches her closely....but I’m telling my people to watch for any chance.”

Kungen nods. “Well done.” He looks thoughtful. “I doubt they allow her to go anywhere, which means this tour is even more boring than usual. I have a feeling that she is going to slip up very soon. And you will be there when she does. I want you on your way there now, double speed.” He smiles, and a chill goes down John’s spine as he turns to obey his king.

\--- 

Three days later you are on the edge of breaking. You have to do something or you are going to scream. You stare at the ceiling, plotting how to get out, even for ten minutes.

You get off the bed and move to the door, thinking to see if anyone’s still on the bus, and you’re just about to open the door when you hear voices, and you pause. Papa and Aether discussing ... you?

“...know, I know, Papa. But I’m going to start her magic lessons to distract her from her boredom, and I...I just don’t feel comfortable not telling her that.” Aether sounds vehement. 

Papa sighs heavily. “You know what it would do to her, my friend. She already wants to leave to make our lives normal again. If she found out that the nature of the conduit makes those who fuck her fall in love with her automatically...she’d never stay.” 

The world narrows to a single point. You hear them as if from down a long tunnel, and you can feel your new world, the one you just came to terms with, shattering into a million pieces. Your hands cover your mouth to stifle a scream, and you turn for the back door. It’s always locked, but in a fit of boredom you’d figured out how to unlock it days ago. You do so now, the door opening silently, and you hesitate only a second before you’re out the door and running down the street.

You run blindly, bumping into pedestrians here and there, the only thought in your head to get away. Just get away. After several minutes of hard running, you stop, side stitches stabbing you, and you pant as you hobble over to a bench and sit down. You try to process Papa’s words and realize you’re crying, tears streaming down your face.

You bury your face into your hands and sob, uncaring who sees. They’re forced...they’re forced to love you. It’s not because of you, it’s because of your energy. You knew that it couldn’t just be for you. 

\--- 

Johannes steps out of the bathroom, finishing up his belt as he nods to Papa and Aether on his way back to the bedroom. He opens his mouth with a smile as he looks to you, but the words die when he sees the room empty. He blinks, then sees the back door just slightly open, and ice curls down his spine and through his veins. He wrenches the bedroom door open and nearly knocks Papa and Aether down as he rushes through the bus. “FUCK! FUCK SHIT FUCK COCK! SHE’S GONE!” 

\--- 

You don’t even notice someone sit next to you. John sighs, putting a soft hand on your back. “I am sorry about this. You are an innocent. But...I cannot refuse an order from the king.” You feel a soft prick on your arm, and you turn your head to see the drummer for Avatar looking at you with pity in his gaze, and then you see nothing. You slump forward into his arms, and at the same moment, timed perfectly, a car with tinted-out windows pulls up to the curb. John picks you up, gently, and the driver gets out to open the door. He sets you down softly, buckles you in, and shuts the door, before the two men get in and drive off, no one the wiser. 

\--- 

Papa rushes after Johannes as Aether spins and goes into the back bedroom. Papa grabs the wolf’s arm and spins him around. “What the hell do you mean, she’s gone?” 

“What the fuck do you mean, what do I mean? She’s fucking gone!” Johannes is wild-eyed, and he’s seconds away from shifting. “She was in the bedroom, and now she’s fucking not! Let me go, dammit, we have to fucking find her!”

Papa grabs his shoulders. “Nothing will be accomplished if we are in a blind panic. Breathe for a moment. Aether! Can you feel her energy trail?!” 

Fire steps onto the bus. “Sound check is starting, Papa, what’s going on?”

Johannes shakes his head, his whole body trembling. “I can’t breathe, I can’t even think. Fucking christ, fucking goddamn christ...” 

Aether comes out of the bedroom. “Her energy is all over...she’s...she’s broken, Papa. And it’s not the frustration and the anger she’s been throwing off ... she’s broken.” 

“Wait ... what the fuck is going on?” Fire snaps. 

“Did you see her?” Johannes asks Fire. “Did you see her leave the bus? She can’t have been gone long, did you see her leave?” 

“Leave? What the fuck do you mean, leave?”

Papa’s eyes widen. “Oh no. Oh no, oh shit...Aether, she must have heard us...” His hands grip his hair as tears automatically start flowing down his face. “Oh fuck, oh fuck. It’s all my fault.” His legs give out and he slides down to the ground.

Papa losing his legendary calm sends panic ricocheting through the bus. Johannes looks from Papa to Aether. “What. The fuck. Happened.” 

Aether is shaking now. “We were talking about...fuck, we were talking about the nature of the conduit, that when you fuck her, it makes you fall in love with her ... fuck, do you really think she heard that?” 

“What the actual fuck?” Johannes practically roars. “She heard you say that? Jesus fucking christ!” 

The bus door slams open, and Earth looks like he’s ready to kill. “WHY ARE YOU ALL STANDING HERE WHEN SHE’S IN DANGER?”

Everyone stares at Earth--he’s never raised his voice in his entire life, let alone roared like this. But another yell has them scattering off the bus, frantically searching the streets. All except Papa, who is staring into the middle distance, tears falling down his face. He can’t believe he was so stupid to have said that right outside the door. Air blinks into the bus, then also scatters into the street. Water is already looking, trying not to cry.

Johannes bursts back into the bus. “Wait. How do you know she’s in danger, little dude? What did you see?” 

Earth stares at the wolf, his expression one of fury and fear. “I didn’t see anything. I just...know. I felt it. She was...she was broken. But ok. Then...she wasn’t ok.”

Johannes froze. “Christ. Christ FUCK. The king...”

\---

As soon as the car goes two streets with no sign of any of the ghouls or Papa, he calls the king. “Sir, we have her. We will be leaving asap back to the kingdom.” 

Kungen nods. “Excellent work, John. I will see you soon. And remember, do what you can to reassure her that she is safe.” 

“Yes, my King.” He hangs up and looks at you, unconscious on the seat next you. Deep in his heart, John is railing against taking you back, but he orders the driver to start making their way out of town.

\--- 

Papa stands, moment of panic over, and looks at Earth. “Can you track her energy?” He sends off a mental message to Aether asking the same thing.

Earth doesn’t speak, just goes to the back bedroom and stands there, eyes closed, for long moments before he moves to the back door and jumps off the bus. Papa and Johannes look at each other. “I’ll go with him,” Johannes says. “You’d better figure out what you’re doing as far as tonight’s show.” 

Earth is on the sidewalk, concentrating, then he moves, not running exactly but definitely hustling down the sidewalk, dodging people and objects. Johannes follows, calling up his shifter senses to try to detect your scent...it’s faint, scattered. “She was running,” he mutters. “Fucking christ...” 

They finally pause at a bus stop. “The bench...it’s glowing with her energy...she was there,” Earth says, looking around.

Johannes inhales, then curses. “Yeah, well so was John. Our drummer...the king’s spy,” he responds to Earth’s nonverbal question.

Earth pales, then grabs Johannes’s hand and rushes back to the bus. Gasping for breath as they’d sprinted the entire way, he cries, “Call everyone back! She’s been...she’s been taken by Avatar Country!” 

Papa roars and kicks a table, disintegrating it, and then sends out the message. Ghouls pop into the bus, and Earth explains what he saw. The expletives that come out of Fire would make a sailor blush. Air stands there seething, rage palpable. Water bursts into tears and collapses onto the couch. 

But Papa isn’t having any of it. “Enough!” he snaps, and everyone goes silent and looks at him. “We need to plan. We cannot cancel tonight’s show, it’s too late.”

“But, Papa--” 

“No, Earth, we must perform tonight, we have no other options.” Papa looks at Johannes. “When the king sent you, your orders were to kill her. Do you think that is the case now?”

Johannes shakes his head. “If that were the case, we would have already found her body. No, John took her.”

Earth frowns. “I think...well. I know I would be able to tell if she were dead. I think everyone here would.”

They all nod. Papa looks to Johannes. “Do you think your king would want her alive, at least for the time being? He cannot be happy with what you did...” The dark pope begins to pace. “What if he wishes to make her his, and take her from you as revenge? Would he do something like that?”

Johannes can feel his wolf side pacing as he tries to think. “It’s possible. He may want to question her...find out why she’s still alive.” He looks at all the ghouls and Papa, each one in turn. “Don’t misunderstand me ... her life is in danger. He wants her dead, I doubt that has changed. But he will want to know why I failed him...if John didn’t kill her the minute he found her, then I think we have some time. But not much.”

Papa nods. “All right. Tomorrow, we have off. I think it’s time to tell the Clergy what is going on. They can arrange for the tour dates to be rescheduled for after the rescue. Someone find me Special.” Fire’s off the bus in a shot. “Johannes, we’ll need you to detail what your former inner circle are capable of. You’ll probably have to tell the Clergy tomorrow as well. We’ll strategize on the plane back.”

Johannes nods. “Whatever you need to know.” He sinks down onto the couch, head in his hands. “If anything happens to her...christ, Papa, is it true? What you said about the conduit?”

Papa sits down next to him, leaning against the taller man. “It is...and I hate that I must say that. It is a defense mechanism. It’s seen in nature—the cuteness of a baby animal is a defense mechanism as well. It makes other creatures not want to harm them. This is in the same vein. But instead of it being a permanent thing...it is like a shot of drugs almost. If the energy source is lost, the love will fade...unless it is true love to begin with.” 

Earth whimpers at hearing this news, tears streaming down his face. “I don’t want to not love her...”

Johannes stares at Papa, a look of utter horror on his face. “She ran out of here thinking we don’t truly love her? She thinks it’s all fake...after we promised her it’s real...” He wants to scream, to roar...

“Johannes...” And Papa sounds tired, like he hasn’t slept in years. “Put yourself in her shoes. How can she trust anything we’ve told her when it could be her energy forcing it? She already can’t believe that she has all of us...is it that much of a stretch to jump to that conclusion?”

“No. No it’s not.” They are silent for a minute. Then Johannes says, “I refuse to believe that what I feel is all some...some fucking imaginary feeling driven by supernatural fuckery. Fuck that.”

Papa takes his hand, lacing their fingers together. “We will find out tomorrow.” It’s silent now, save for Earth’s quiet sobbing. The feeling of despair is so thick in the room that not even Air can go to him—all he can do is look down at his hands, remembering the one night you and he shared together.

The bus door opens and Special comes in and looks around. “Fire said it was important ... did someone die? What’s going on, Papa?”

Papa looks up, then stands quickly. “Ah, Special. We need your help, my friend. We’re going to need a red-eye flight back to the church. You also need to talk with the Clergy and our PR department about postponing the rest of the tour. No one’s died...yet...and I want to keep it that way.”

“That’s a little dramatic even for you, Papa. The red-eye shouldn’t be a problem...but...well, the Clergy isn’t going to postpone anything without a damned good reason. What’s up?” 

As Papa explains the situation, Johannes sits next to Earth and puts an arm around his shoulders. “Don’t you believe this fake emotion shit, little dude. Not even for a minute.”

“...and she may have overheard Aether and me talking about it and fled. And now...she’s been kidnapped by the king’s men. We need her back, Special, before...before they kill her.” 

Earth looks up at Johannes, tears still streaming down his face. “She can’t die...what if she dies thinking we hate her? She...we need her, she’s so important, and you’re so important and...and...” He devolves back into sobs into the wolf’s chest.

Special puts his hand on the back of Earth’s head. “We’re simply not going to allow that. No one dies on my watch, not ever.”

Earth looks up at him, then nods and wipes his tears away. His expression firms, and some of the rage simmers again. “We’ll get her back.” 

Papa nods and smiles to him, to all of them. “Come on, my friends. Who are we?” 

“SATAN’S FAVORED!” they roar, and the bus shakes with the force.

The ghouls leave the bus to finish sound check, clapping each other on the back and murmuring encouragement to each other. Johannes looks at Papa, a smirk on his face. “Why do I feel like I should go hike a football or something?” 

Papa chuckles. “I know, I know. But it boosts their morale, and that’s something we all could use right about now.”

Special pats them both on the shoulder, then pulls out a cellphone and a pad and pen, preparing to get plane tickets for eight people. Papa leans up and kisses Johannes softly, cupping his cheeks gently. “We’ll get her back. They...they won’t hurt her.” He pressed his forehead to the taller man’s chest. “We can’t let her think that we don’t love her...” And he turns and exits the bus.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you arrive in Avatar Country...

In a car that is already out of the city and gaining distance, you stir in the seat next to John. He watches you impassively as your eyes flutter open and focus on the roof. Then, slowly, your head turns and you see the drummer sitting there, bright blue eyes focusing on your face. “...John...” You sigh, closing your eyes. “Just...just hurry up and kill me then...”

“I’m not here to kill you,” John says quietly. “Nothing bad is going to happen...we’re just going on a trip.” He looks out the window, trying to focus on the scenery and not on you in your groggy state.

You stare at him. “You expect me to believe that? Your king wants me dead. I might not know what’s happened to my life, but I’m not an idiot.” You look to the driver. “How fast are we going?” 

The driver catches John’s eye in the rearview mirror and waits for the man’s nod. “We are currently going seventy-five, my lady.” You blink, taken aback at the respectful tone, before looking out the window and weighing just throwing yourself out the door.

John shakes his head. “I know what you’re thinking. Please don’t try. You’ll only hurt yourself.” His voice is smooth, his accent noticeable. “I really am not here to kill you. My king just...wants to talk to you, understand what has happened...”

“You mean when Johannes didn’t kill me?” you spit. Your angry energy clouds the car, making the driver swallow. “Stop treating me like I don’t know how this ends! I’ve known your king is pissed off at what I accidentally did! And from the scarring that Johannes used to have, I don’t see your king as being very merciful.”

John’s eyes widen, but other than that he doesn’t respond. He’s not sure what you mean by “used to have,” but your words and energy intrigue and concern him. His king is going to find it very difficult to convince you that you are safe with him, and that will make him very...unhappy. “Are you thirsty? We have water.” And he motions toward a tiny built-in cooler.

You give him a withering glare and turn to look out the window. Silent tears, born of frustration, anger, and despair, slip down your cheeks, and you try not to shake too visibly. You don’t want to show any weakness in front of him, but...your heart feels like it’s slowly decaying and crumbling apart in your chest.

He sees your tears and tries to take your hand, but you yank it back as if you’ve touched a hot stove. “Don’t touch me.”

“Please don’t cry. I swear you are in no danger.” At the moment, he adds silently.

“You know what the most fucked-up part of all of this is? I still love your fucking music!” You push down on the hysterical laughter bubbling up in your chest. “W-When we were all home I was going to ask to learn an instrument, so I could be a-as amazing as all of you. Back before I...went looking for a fucking bathroom, both bands made me deliriously happy. And now...I thought they still did. But it wasn’t real...The only real part is that I’m going to die alone...”

Later, much later, when John has time to look back and try to figure out what the hell happened, he will realize that it is here, at this very moment, when he first defies his king, when deep deep down, somewhere even his wolf doesn’t acknowledge, he first tells himself, “She will not die.” But for now, all he says is, “I am sorry.” 

You snort. “If you were really sorry, you’d let me go.” 

John tilts his head. “That, I cannot do.”

“Well, at least you’re not trying to bullshit me anymore. Thanks for that.” And you fall silent, looking out the window as the boring scenery of the highway flashes by. You miss your boys—you don’t feel whole anymore unless they’re near. Tears fall again as your brain helpfully reminds you that they’re forced into loving you. You lean your head against the window, curl into yourself, and clamp your teeth down on the wails of despair writhing in your throat.

John’s hand moves, almost of its own accord, and hovers above you, and he finds himself just about to stroke your hair... He stops himself, shakes his head, puts his hand on the seat. “Tell me...” He clears his throat. “Tell me if you need anything.”

You’re silent, trying to focus on the coolness of the window against your cheek. You spiral further and further into despair, and before long both men in the car are feeling it acutely, a black fog hovering over their own emotions. 

\--- 

The show that night goes off without a hitch, but as soon as they are offstage and out of view of the audience, all the men are rushing for the back exit. Special is waiting, along with two taxis, and everyone crams into them. Papa nods to the green-eyed ghoul. “Always coming through for us.”

“It’s not always easy,” Special replies. “And you are going to have some pissed-off fans when they realize none of you are going to come out and sign autographs tonight. George is in for it when he goes out to tell them.”

Papa sighs regretfully. “I will make it up to George. And the fans. But this is more important than even them.” He looks back at Johannes, Special, and Earth, watching how their emotions currently seem. Special is calm, watching out the window as lights go past. Earth is holding Johannes’s hand; the only thing giving away his nerves is white knuckles.

Johannes glances over at Papa. “We’re all ok. I mean, not sunshine and rainbows ok, but ok.” He looks down at Earth, then back to Papa. “How long do you think it’s going to take to convince your Clergy? Are they going to be a tough sell? I mean, we have some time, but John’s got a serious head start now.”

Papa sighs again. “It depends, I suppose. Be prepared for them not to care about her as a person. But they will be very interested in her as a conduit. It has been a long time since one has graced our halls, and for one to already be close to its leader?” He taps his fingers on his knee. “Yes, I believe her worth to them will outweigh the issues postponing the tour.” He glances to the side and sees the taxi driver giving him a side-eye and a raised eyebrow, and if Papa were still capable of blushing...

Johannes doesn’t notice the driver’s reaction; he’s too deep in his own thoughts. “I guess that means I’m gonna have to not get pissed off. Or, wait...am I allowed in on this meeting? Or is this ghouls only?”

“You’ll be allowed,” Special says, patting the man’s shoulder. “You have information on the enemy after all.” 

Earth nods. “You’re more important than the ghouls are in this case.”

Papa smiles at the young man. “Do not sell yourselves short, my friend.”

“Yeah, little dude, you were in charge this afternoon,” Johannes says with a grin. “I thought you were gonna kick everyone’s ass earlier.” 

Earth blushes. “I...well. Don’t be fooled. When I felt her...when she was taken, it scared me so badly I didn’t have a choice. You two...” The ghoul closes his eyes and sighs. “You and she ... you don’t...well. Neither of you understand how important you are. Not just to us...to everything.”

Papa looks back at the ghoul. “My dear Earth, this is far from the first time you’ve mentioned this, but I have not had the chance to ask...what have you seen about us all? I know that what we’re about to do is important to us, but it cannot be important in the ways you’ve normally seen.” Everyone is looking at the small ghoul now.

Now Earth looks embarrassed. “It’s all very ... well. Murky. I can’t make sense of any of it yet. All I know is I didn’t see anything before the two of them arrived, and now...now I see shapes that weren’t there.” He shrugs. “I know it doesn’t make sense, I’m sorry, Papa.”

Papa reaches back and pats the ghoul’s knee. “Nothing to apologize for. I know your gift is...hm, fickle. As soon as you figure something out though, please, come to me straight away.” 

Earth nods seriously, and Special smiles. “Perhaps some meditation on it may help. I can get you that tea you like.”

They reach the airport and everyone bustles out immediately except for Special, who pays the driver...but when he takes a bit longer than typical, Johannes looks at Papa. “What is he doing? Giving an interview?” 

Papa smirks. “Probably making sure the driver doesn’t remember the more...ahh...non-typical portion of our conversation.” 

Johannes raises an eyebrow. “You can do memory modification?” 

“Special can. There’s a reason we call him that, you know.”

“Multiple reasons,” Special says from next to Johannes suddenly. He smiles faintly at the man’s slight jump, then looks to Papa. “Shall we?”

Papa nods, gathers the rest of the ghouls, and heads into the airport. They check in without a problem, ignoring the looks of the other passengers, and wait to board. The waiting, Papa decides, is what is going to kill them. Air is sitting in a chair at least, but his leg is bouncing in impatience. The rest of the ghouls, save Special and Earth, are all pacing. Special is reading a newspaper from back home (though Papa is never sure how he gets them), and Earth is leaning against his wolf, head on the taller man’s shoulder.

“It’s going to be a hell of a long flight with all of them so keyed up,” Papa says to Special. “Here’s hoping the rest of the passengers sleep sound.”

Special smiles serenely to Papa. “That can happen, do not worry.” Just then their flight is called, and they all make their way to the gate. A cute little girl of about five they pass waves shyly at them all, and her mom frowns faintly at the men in masks who walk by, followed by the very tall black-haired man. But they all wave back to the little girl with no animosity, and so the incident is chalked up as just another odd airport story. They board and wait to take off.

Once the plane is cruising, Johannes looks around, noticing that the passengers around them are dropping off to sleep with an unusual quickness. “Is that....you know what, never mind....” He is beginning to feel slightly unnerved by Special.

As soon as everyone else is asleep, including the attendants, Papa looks to them all. “Right, we have a long flight ahead of us. We need to start planning what we’re going to do to go after our goddess. First, Johannes, you are up. Please, tell us everything you know about the king and his inner circle.” Everyone looks to the wolf, all curious about his former comrades.

“Christ, where to start ... there’s so much...” Johannes mutters. “Shapeshifting. They all shapeshift, same as me. They all have wolves, and they all have other animals they can shift into as well. Tim can shift into a leopard, and an eagle. John’s animals are a white tiger and a snowy owl. Henrik, cheetah and hawk. And the king...” Johannes sighs. “Well, he’s the king--he can take any animal form he pleases, but his primary forms are lion and dragon.”

Everyone stares at him. “A dragon?” Earth and Water whisper together. Everyone looks worried except for Papa and Special.

“What the fuck...?” Fire says in exasperation. “The other forms I can understand, but dragons don’t really exist!”

Johannes grins. “That’s what they want you to think.”

“Who?” Fire asks.

“The dragons.”

“Wait, there are more?” Water says, voice higher than normal. 

Papa sighs. “They’re one of the world’s best-kept secrets. Even I am not allowed to speak of them outside of with Satan and the Clergy higher-ups.” 

Special nods. “There are not a lot of them, but they are around. They’re not all assholes, either. Some are very nice people. Your king...is a chaotic one. He does what suits him, whether kind or cruel.”

“Huh.” Johannes stares at Special long enough that it makes Special clear his throat. 

“Is there a problem?” 

“Oh...no, sorry. I just ... that’s the damn best description I’ve ever heard of my king...at least, how he is now, anyway. He used to be a kind man, generous to a fault. And we were happy to follow suit. Lately, the inner circle has been...attempting damage control, I guess is how to put it? After the king does something...unkind, we would usually try to...make the situation a little better once he had left the vicinity. Or least, the others did...” Johannes looks ashamed for a moment.

Earth speaks up, softly. “Everything I’ve ever heard of your king makes it sound like he’s good to his people though...I thought he was a good guy...”

The others nod, but Air snorts. “He can’t be that good if he wants to kill an innocent woman who just had to piss.” He pauses, then looks to Johannes. “Wolf. What happens if he finds out she’s a conduit?”

Johannes shrugs. “My guess is he’ll use her...you said she can transfer energies, give it or take it?” Papa, Aether, and Special all nod. “Then he could use her to drain his enemies, or to power up his people. And he won’t necessarily be thinking about her, as a person. Just what she can do. He’ll use her up, like a car battery, and when she isn’t any use...”

Air literally growls, eyes flashing. “I will kill him myself!” The rest of the ghouls nod angrily. 

Papa nods. “It won’t come to that, however. We will rescue her. You forget, my ghouls—I am a match for a dragon with the power that Satan has granted me. And with our goddess under Their unholy protection, I’m sure if she’s in mortal danger that They will intervene.”

Special steeples his fingers, looking thoughtful. “I suppose this is a stupid question, but is there a chance, any chance at all, that your king would be willing to discuss, negotiate?” 

Johannes looks off into the distance. “Fuck, you know how to ask the good questions, my dude.” Special tilts his head and smiles faintly. “There was a time when he might have. He was a good man long ago. We wanted to believe that the good man we’d known was still there...But as time went on, we gave up hope.”

Papa frowns. “What happened to change him?” The rest of the ghouls nod. “This could be important information. Perhaps there could be some way of changing him back into the good man he was. I’m sure Earth could do that.” Earth nods firmly.

Johannes shakes his head. “I wish to fuck I knew. Everything was fine—it was always ‘serve and thrive.’ And then ... over time, it wasn’t. At first, John and Henrik and Tim and I didn’t think anything of it, but as things got...harsh...we got concerned. Didn’t understand it. The others started questioning his harsher decisions, but he would just threaten them and their families, which was enough to keep them quiet... but when I confronted our king ... I don’t have any family, and my only loved ones at the time were the others, so...well, you saw my back.” He shrugs, looks down. “Eventually I let go too and it became serve or die.”

“But...you were all friends...you just said they were your loved ones,” Earth says, voice small and sad. “How could he forget that you were important to each other?” 

“Sometimes,” Water says gently, rubbing the younger ghoul’s shoulder, “sometimes power becomes more important than people.” 

“And it should never be like that,” Papa says firmly. He cups Johannes’s cheek and presses a kiss to his forehead. “We will get to the bottom of this, I swear. So, back to the first question: can they do anything other than shapeshift? Any special skills we need to know about?”

“The inner circle is all pretty similar. Faster than the usual, stronger than the usual, enhanced senses when we call up our wolf side. The king’s dragon is ... pretty tough.”

Papa nods. “I can imagine. I assume you know their weaknesses as well? We will need to exploit them.” He checks his watch—still eight hours left at this point. Papa sighs—they really need to build a branch of the church in the USA. He is very impatient to get back and start swaying the clergy.

“Honestly? Our biggest problem is we’re too damn cocky.” The ghouls chuckle. Johannes looks thoughtful. “You know, we really don’t know much about you ghouls. These last few weeks I’ve seen some shit ... I didn’t know about all the things you guys can do. Element of surprise, dudes. Element of surprise.”

Papa grins. “And you have not even seen them in their demon forms yet. Trust me, my beautiful wolf, we are a more than formidable force. What Air showed you the other day? That was the tip of the iceberg.” The ghouls all grin, and little Earth blushes faintly but smiles. Air fixes Johannes with a potent stare.

“Yeah, I believe it. Trust me.” Johannes raises his hands up, as if to say “stop”, and that’s when he notices... “Christ, I’m shaking.”

Papa takes one of his hands gently, and Earth takes the other. “We’ll get her back, Johannes. We will. We...”

“Have to...” Earth finishes quietly. 

They all go silent, and slowly, one by one, people wake up. Papa keeps a hold of Johannes’s hand as the flight continues, and he can sense the ghouls getting more and more restless as time goes on.

“I don’t know if they’re gonna make it til we touch down,” Johannes mumbles. “Fuck, I don’t know if I’m gonna make it.” He looks at Papa for a long minute. “Are you...are you feeling any different? About her?”

Papa shakes his head. “Not in the least. I’m feeling more...desperate to have her back. Terrified for her safety. But still very much in love...what about you?” The dark pope looks to Special and motions to the ghouls, and one by one they fall asleep leaning on each other.

“I didn’t think it was possible to love her more, but I do.” Johannes watches his hand tremble. “I feel like I won’t stop shaking until I touch her again.” He glances at Special. “That Special ... he’s not like you guys, is he?”

Papa smiles. “No, he’s not. He’s an arch-demon, sent by Satan. And he’s been invaluable.” 

Special makes a bow in Papa’s direction. “It’s been fun on earth,” the demon replies. “Centuries in hell get dull after a while. The begging and pleading grates on the nerves.”

“Yeah... I wouldn’t know.” Johannes looks at Papa. “Just when I think things can’t get weirder, you tell me shit like that...”

Papa laughs softly and pats his hand. “Just wait until you meet the rest of our leaders.” 

The rest of the flight is uneventful, and the ghouls all wake as one right before landing. Special winks at Johannes playfully.

Johannes shakes his head, a nervous grin crossing his face. “I gotta admit,” he murmurs in Papa’s ear, “I’m frightened and yet strangely turned on right now.”

Papa grins back and turns his head, whispering, “You should see what he can do with his tongue.” Special looks smug as the plane lands, and everyone stands to get their belongings.

\--- 

As Papa, Johannes, and the ghouls work their way off the plane and into the airport, you have already gotten off a private plane and been bustled into another car, John at your side. He murmurs into a phone as the car speeds into the night. “We’re on our way. Shouldn’t take long,” he says.

“Excellent,” Kungen says. “Notify me when you’re just outside.” He hangs up, looking to the two maids he’s brought in. “Ladies, we’re going to be having a special guest soon. She’s going to be upset at being here. You both are the best maids that I have, and you will be assigned to her. Make sure she wants for nothing—every little request she has, fulfill it.” 

“Yes, my King,” they reply in unison. 

“Thank you. Please, go and prepare the suite that overlooks the ocean.” 

They curtsy and leave, bowing their heads to Henrik on the way out. The bodyguard nods back, glancing at the king, apprehension in his heart.

“It shouldn’t be too long until they arrive,” the king says as he rubs his hands together. “Henrik, I want you to personally guard this woman. You can assign one of your men to your post here.” 

Henrik stares at Kungen. “Are you sure, my King? Emeritus is likely to show up. I should be at your side.”

The king frowns at his...former friend. “Are you questioning my orders?” 

Henrik pales slightly. “O-Of course not, sir.” 

“Do you not think me capable of protecting myself?” 

“You are the strongest here, my lord, there is no question.”

The king stares at his bodyguard. “Do I need to question your loyalty?” He stalks toward Henrik, moving closer, stare never wavering. 

Henrik keeps his gaze focused on a spot on the far wall. “No. Not at all.” 

Finally, Kungen stops when he is toe to toe, face to face, with Henrik. “Be sure. I will not tolerate any. More. Betrayal.”

“Y-Yes, my King.”

Kungen nods and turns to make his way back to his desk. “Leave me.” 

Henrik leaves at a brisk walk, shutting the door softly, leaning against the wall and quietly gasping for breath, sweating beneath his clothes. He takes a moment to compose himself and walks down to wait in the main hall.

He contacts his most trusted guard and sends him to the king’s chambers with strict instructions. In no time, his phone is chiming with the message, “We are here,” and he moves quickly to the front entrance, glad that he is composed once again. And the doors open...

You walk inside, looking around impassively. The castle is beautiful, but it is nothing compared to the dark church you now consider your home. John comes in behind you, and when he sees his king descending the stairs, he goes to one knee, bowing his head. You do not, preferring instead to glare at him as he approaches. 

Before he says a word, he is himself suddenly on his knee before you, to your surprise. “My dear, I offer you my profound apologies. I was much too hasty in ordering my men to kill you. I was paranoid about all our secrets getting out, when I should have stopped and really thought about it. I know nothing could ever make it up to you, but I am certainly going to try.” 

You stare at him, then your teeth bare and your arm rears back. In seconds Henrik is there, grabbing your arm, gently. But Kungen holds up his hand. “No, I deserve this. Let her strike me.” Henrik nods and steps back, and you shout as you punch him in the jaw as hard as you can.

Kungen rocks to the side a bit but maintains his balance otherwise. “If I thought it would do any good, I’d hit you more, you bastard.” You give your hand a good shake. “Just...if you’re going to kill me, do it now. I’d rather not wait.”

“I am not going to kill you,” he replies, standing and rubbing his jaw. “I do admit, I brought you here because I want to see what about you changed the mind of my assassin. He has been unerringly loyal, after all. But my intentions are not to hurt you.” 

You snort. “King or not, I’m going to tell you the exact same thing that I told Johnny-boy here: don’t bullshit me, and don’t treat me like a fucking idiot. You ordered Johannes to kill me. That didn’t work, and you lost your assassin. You cannot be too happy with me right now.”

A muscle in the king’s jaw tics. Henrik’s eyes widen, and John stands up and murmurs to you, “Have a care how you speak. He is the king and while you may not be his subject, you are here at his pleasure.”

You stare at him, feeling hysteria rising. “Are you fucking kidding me?! You have to be fucking joking at this point! Why do none of you see how fucking insane this all is?! Why the fuck would I ‘have a care’ how I speak at this point?! My heart is already dead, and soon my body will follow it!” You turn to the king, and in your most seething tone, you hiss, “Go fuck yourself with your own guitar, you monster.” 

Kungen’s arm twitches, and he suddenly turns to Henrik. “Take her to her rooms, before I do something I regret.” He strides off, and the atmosphere in the room lightens considerably.

John seizes your arm and yanks you close to him, staring at you wide-eyed and...angry? Or is he panicking? “Lunatic woman, are you insane? Do you know how close you came to being struck down? How close we all came?” he bites out. 

You struggle against his grip. “Do I look like I fucking care?” 

“You had better start caring, woman!” 

Henrik steps in, puts a quelling hand on John while gently taking your other arm. “Stand down, John. I am commanded to guard her.” He looks around .... palace guards are trying to look as if they aren’t staring. “Let’s take her to her quarters, too many eyes here.”

John nods curtly, and they hustle you off. You try to protest, to say you can walk on your own, but they’re having none of it. You’re taken through the castle, past rooms and gardens, and hallways full of beautiful art, until finally you stop in front of a set of magnificent polished oak doors. Henrik pushes them open and brings you inside, and even though you are trying your best to be sullen, you can’t help but gape. The room is painted in a thousand different shades of blue. A pool of water in the center of the room gently ripples, sending waves of light over the walls. The bed is huge and looks extremely comfortable, decorated with blue, white, and gold blankets and pillows. An open archway leads onto a balcony that overlooks the ocean. “Wow...” you breathe.

“Excellent. NOW you are speechless,” John mutters. 

Henrik shakes his head. “These are your rooms. You have two maids who will get you anything you need. And I will be guarding you, so don’t think you can try anything.” He stares at you intently. “Is Johannes all right?”

“Guarding me? That mean you’re gonna be watching me bathe and sleep too?” 

“That depends. Are you going to try to drown yourself?” Henrik replies, no inflection in his voice.

“Haven’t decided yet.” 

“Then I will be, yes. How. Is. Johannes?” 

“Doing much better now that the fucking brainwashing is gone,” you spit darkly.

“What brainwashing?” Henrik asks, his expression almost entirely blank. 

“What are you talking about?” John says at almost the same time.

“The brainwashing. You know, whatever the king’s doing to you that makes you all do what he says no matter how ridiculous it sounds.”

“He is our king, that is why we follow his orders.” But Henrik won’t quite meet your eyes.

“Bullshit,” you snap, eyes blazing. “You’re both fucking scared as shit of him. So is Johannes.”

“That’s ridiculous,” John says, but the look in his eyes says otherwise. 

Henrik continues to stare at you, then finally he says, “What did you do to him?” 

You blush and look away. “Nothing.” 

Henrik says nothing for a few long moments. “I might be willing to help you. Might. But if you continue to lie to me, I cannot do anything. You say Johannes was brainwashed; you also say it’s gone. You must have done something...or Emeritus did. So tell me. What did you do to him?”

John hisses at Henrik, “What are you saying?!” Even though his heart is telling him to go along with his friend. 

You stare at Henrik. “Do you honestly believe that I would trust you enough right now to tell you anything? If you do, my first thought is that you’re immediately going to go tell the king. Why would I spill all my secrets on some pretty words?” You scowl, turning for the balcony. “You all really do think I’m just some idiot little girl.”

John yanks Henrik over to the side of the room and whisper-yells, “Tell me that you are just trying to gain her trust. Tell me that you are not defying our king by offering help to his enemy.” Henrik is staring at you so intently that John grabs him by both shoulders and shakes him, hard. “Tell me!” 

Henrik looks at John. “Something is not right. You know it. I know it. And I think Johannes knows it—and he acted on it.” He pauses. “Our king threatened me tonight for questioning his order. A sound question, regarding his safety, which is supposed to be my primary concern, and I had every right to question it. And he stopped only a hair short of calling it betrayal.” John’s eyebrow raises high. “Precisely. Something is wrong. And I don’t know how this woman is tied in to it, but she is. I don’t know what this woman is, but she is not our enemy.”

John looks at him for a long minute, then at you, who is watching them both. He looks back to his friend and his mouth opens as if to speak, but nothing comes out. Finally, he croaks out, “You’re right...but I’m terrified of doing the right thing...one miss-step and it’s over...”

Henrik nods. “I know. But I am beginning to think it’s a risk we need to take.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you all take the risk...

“A risk we need to take.” Henrik’s words have your mind racing. You can’t help but overhear the two men, and now you don’t know what to do. It could all be a trap, designed to gain your trust, but something in Henrik’s eyes...and John’s too, really...reminds you so much of the fear and shame in Johannes’s eyes… Maybe you need to take a risk too...

John nods. “I...I want our friends back, Henrik...I miss Jonas...and I miss Johannes...do you think we should talk to Tim about this?” 

You bite your lip as you watch them speak, and the men hear your sudden gasp. Their heads snap in your direction instantly, and their eyes widen as they see your eyes blaze white, and the leviathan cross shines on your forehead, chest, and groin. You don’t see the beautiful room anymore, and you don’t see the two men cautiously approach. You see darkness, and then you see Satan. 

They smile to you, wrapping you in their arms. “My child, my precious one...I know how hard this is for you. But these two men, soon to be three...you can trust them. Their king needs saving as much as Johannes did. Tell them everything.”

You start to cry. “I have no idea what to do or who to trust! Nothing makes sense! How am I supposed to trust them when I can’t even trust myself? I can’t even trust anyone’s emotions! How can I when I make people fall in love with me?” You are hysterically sobbing now. “I just want my loves, and they aren’t mine. They don’t really love me. How can I do any of this when I don’t have them?”

Satan suddenly kisses you to stop the flow of words, and you feel your limbs relax as serenity, a brief moment of very welcome serenity, washes over you. They pull away, cupping your cheeks. “My poor child. Perhaps I should have told you sooner. Do you honestly think that you haven’t been on my radar for a long, long time? I put you on this path for a damn good reason. Halfway through that search of yours at the concert, you passed by a bathroom and didn’t even see it. I knew how important you would be for my boys, and for these boys here as well.” They force you to look up into their fathomless eyes. “And I wouldn’t have put you on this path if every single one of these men didn’t care about you beyond the energy. Think back, my dear—when Fire and Water first met you in that hallway, they were concerned for you, and they hadn’t even spoken with you yet. Of course they love you. You, little one, not your energy. Though I can of course see where you think that. You have always doubted yourself too much.”

“Even Papa and Johannes?”

“Especially my Papa and that wolf.” They smile fondly at you. 

A hot jet of hope shoots through you, but you squelch it. “That’s not what they said. I heard them, Papa and Aether, they said they’re forced to love me, that it isn’t real.” You start to cry. “I don’t want them to be with me because they have to be.”

They sigh, stroking your hair. “My child, what they said was right—to an extent. Your conduit nature makes them fall in love with you so that you are protected. Think about it this way—picture a tiny kitten. Pure white, perhaps with a tiny patch of gray on its nose. Bright blue eyes, it’s extremely fluffy.” You frown up at them, mouth opening to ask them what this has to do with anything, but they look at you sternly and your mouth snaps shut and you close your eyes and picture it. You smile faintly in spite of yourself. “Now, a little kitten like that, its cuteness is a natural defense. No one in their right minds would want to hurt such a precious little thing. And you, right now, you know this to be just a defense mechanism, yes?” You nod, a tear falling down your cheek. “So, one might argue that you are forced into finding this little creature cute. Yes?” You nod again. “But...does that knowledge change how you feel about the kitten?” 

You blink, looking up at them. “Well...no, I suppose not.” 

They smile. “My boys know what your energy is doing. They know the defense mechanism it brings. And trust me when I say that all of them, even Johannes, are strong enough to walk away from you if they truly do not want to be there, energy or not.”

You gaze at them, turning this information over in your head. 

“I know you don’t quite believe it. That’s ok. I’ll let my boys prove me right. In the meantime,” they kiss you, “trust these boys with you now, and do for them what you did for Johannes.”

You kiss back, and when you open your eyes you’re staring at John and Henrik. You blink at them, then murmur, “What I did for Johannes...” 

“What...what was that?!” John demands, a little freaked out. “What was that symbol? Why were your eyes white?!” 

“What did you do for Johannes?” Henrik asks softly.

You sigh deeply, then look around. “Can the king hear us in here? I assume not considering what you were just talking about.”

Henrik shakes his head. “There has never been a need for surveillance within the castle. No one has ever defied the king before.” He looks closely at you. “Are you all right? Do you need to sit down?” He leads you to the bed without waiting for your response and you sit, still mulling over Satan’s words. 

“What the hell happened to her?” John says, still freaking out a little. 

“I don’t know...” Henrik turns back to you. “Tell me...what did you do for Johannes?”

“Have a seat, please. It’s a long story.” You rub the back of your neck as you cross your legs under you, and you think about where to begin. “Well...what happened just now was um...Satan. They uh...apparently marked me as theirs, and I’m protected by them. They like to talk to me once in a while. So...from the beginning I guess.” You start explaining everything that has happened to you, from the night of the concert until just now. “...and they told me to trust you...so uh, I suppose you better keep your word or else you’ll piss off Satan.” They both gulp.

“You’re...protected by Satan,” John says. At your nod, he closes his eyes. “Fuck. Are you telling me I’m going to hell for kidnapping you?” 

Your laugh is faint. “I... don’t think so. I’m beginning to think this was all part of a plan...” 

“What I don’t understand,” Henrik says, “is exactly how you helped Johannes. You sort of glossed over that part.”

You swallow, and you can’t stop the blush from overtaking your cheeks. “W-Well...it um...so you know how cuteness is a defense mechanism in the wild? My energy is kind of like that, except...uh...well...” Your blush grows deeper, and they both raise an eyebrow at you. 

“What, do you have to kiss people or something?” John asks with his own faint grin. 

“No...worse...” You look down. “I have to have sex with them...” And the blush spreads down your neck and to the tips of your ears.

“Wait...what?” 

You take a deep breath and wish you didn’t blush so easily. “When I have sex with someone, it...makes the other person...fall in love with me. God, this sounds ridiculous...” 

Henrik stares at you. “You made Johannes fall in love with you? By having sex with him?” 

You close your eyes. “Something like that.” 

“And that...made him betray our king?” 

“Well ... well... it...it... He decided to stay with me so ... I guess it did? It certainly broke the hold the king had over him.”

John frowns. “Is he...staying there against his will?” 

“No!” you snap, expression instantly angry. “My energy may have forced the love on his end, but it didn’t on mine. If he didn’t want to be there I wouldn’t make him stay! Even if it would crush me!” They stare at you, and you blush again. 

“You truly do love him, don’t you?” Henrik murmurs. 

You nod, looking down again. “I do...and Papa...and all the ghouls...and I don’t know you both well yet, but...I know that I want to help you. I just...I’m not sure how.”

They keep staring at you, and you jump up from the bed and start pacing. “I know it sounds insane, but it can’t be any crazier than you all being shapeshifters, so please don’t look at me like I’ve lost my mind.” 

Henrik moves to you, puts his hands on your shoulders to stop your pacing. “I don’t think you’ve lost your mind. I just...you’ve just told us a lot. A lot. It’s going to take me more than a minute to wrap my head around it all.”

You look up at him, and your expression softens. “He’s really important to you, isn’t he?” 

Henrik nods, emotion filling his eyes. “I almost died when I was younger. Johannes saved me. From the enemy and...and myself. I owe him my life.”

You smile. “That sounds like my wolf.” You cup Henrik’s cheek and he inhales sharply at your touch. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m so sorry that all of you have been suffering. You have that look...that same look that Johannes had.” 

Henrik stares at you. “What look is that?” he asks softly. 

Tears start to slide down your face. “Pain. Fear. Sorrow. You’re so trapped, just like he was.”

John stands and comes over, finally giving in to his impulse earlier and stroking your hair. You sigh softly, and he gently wipes a tear away. “He...the king...was never like this in the old days. He was kind...he cared about everyone...but then one day he just changed, and we don’t...we don’t know why...” He closes his eyes, frustration in every line of his body.

“I can’t imagine what that must have done to you,” you whisper. “I’m sorry.” You lean in and press gentle kisses to his eyelids, then turn to Henrik again and kiss his temple. “I’m so sorry. I just want to help you all.”

John laughs, and it’s a little watery. “You are a damn mystery, woman...I don’t understand you...” 

“Neither do I,” Henrik murmurs. He strokes a soft hand down your cheek. “Why are you apologizing to us, when we’re the ones who kidnapped you, who hurt you...?”

Your eyelids flutter shut at Henrik’s touch. “Because...because I know it wasn’t what you truly wanted to do....not the real you, deep down...” You inhale, and it sounds shaky. “Just...like my wolf... you’re good honorable men...trapped...and you deserve better ...all of you.” Henrik drags his thumb over your bottom lip and without thought, the very tip of your tongue slips out and touches the pad of his thumb. Your eyes open and you lock gazes with him. “I’m sorry...”

You watch as his eyes darken, pupils expanding until there’s only a thin ring of color left. “Don’t apologize,” he rasps, and he starts leaning forward. And even though the tension in the room is thick enough to cut, even though you can feel your panties clinging wetly to your mound, you stop him, two fingers over his lips. 

“Do you...not want this?” John asks, hands on your hips and nose running up the back of your neck. 

“I-I do...b-but...you know what will happen.” 

Henrick nods, opening his mouth, giving your fingers a slow lick. “We do know,” he murmurs against your skin. “And we are okay with it. Not only because you are a woman worth loving, but...because we want to feel something other than fear...”

His words tear a tiny mewl from you as he presses a kiss to your fingers, his gaze boring into yours. John buries his nose in your hair, grip tightening on your hips. “Help us...feel again...” he whispers. “Please...” 

“Of course...” you say on a moan. “Of course...” 

Henrik wraps your fingers in one hand and presses both your hands to his heart, which is thundering like a racehorse. “I haven’t even kissed you yet and I already feel like this. What will it feel like...when I touch your lips?” 

“I was wondering...the same thing...about you,” you whisper.

Henrik’s gaze flicks down to your lips for a split second, before he leans down and captures you in a kiss that steals your breath away. Where Johannes’s kiss is dominating and demanding, Henrik’s is slow, and sensual, and so very, very thorough He explores every inch of your lips before you so much as feel a hint of tongue. He makes a sound in the back of his throat and presses closer, hand cupping the back of your neck to keep you there, kissing you as if he could drink you down. John groans softly into your ear, rolling his hips into your ass, hands sliding slowly up your sides and cupping your breasts through your clothes.

Slowly...so slowly...you feel Henrik’s tongue touch your upper lip teasingly...then it slides along your bottom lip...a gentle request for entry that makes you sigh as your mouth opens to him. He growls into your mouth and his tongue slides in, gliding against yours, then retreating, back in and then retreating again until you chase his into his mouth...where he begins to suck on your tongue. John caresses your breasts, rubbing his thumbs across your covered nipples as he lightly kisses a trail up your neck to your ear. He licks the shell of your ear, feather light, before whispering something in a language you don’t know but that sounds achingly familiar...

You fight to think through the haze of lust fogging your brain—you remember Johannes saying those words. “W-What—oh, fuck—John, w-what does that mean?” you ask desperately into Henrik’s mouth, the information suddenly vitally important to you. Your hands sink into Henrik’s hair—it’s thicker than your wolf’s but just as soft.

John kisses the soft spot where your neck and shoulder meet before murmuring in your ear, “It’s an old saying here in Avatar Country. It means, ‘dear gods, if I am dreaming, let me sleep eternal.’”

Your eyes snap open as his words wash over you, and the longing that you suddenly have to be back with your wolf and your dark pope is so strong that your heart physically hurts. You pull away from Henrik’s mouth and press your forehead to his chest, words gone, and all you can do is shudder as your hand fists into your shirt above your heart. Your free hand covers your mouth to stop the wail that is building in your throat. Henrik, sensing the change in your mood, strokes your hair soothingly, pressing his cheek to it. He knows nothing he can say will help right now, and so he just holds you.

John takes a step back, letting his hands slide to your back, stroking it softly. He looks at Henrik, stricken, and both men simply hold and pet you, trying to give what comfort they can. After a little while, John says softly, “I am so sorry... I didn’t mean to upset you...”

You try to get your emotions under control, trying to keep your treacherous brain from whispering that you’ll never see your loves again. You wipe your tears away, turning to John. “No, it’s not your fault. It never was, John.” You take his hand in yours, pressing a soft kiss to his palm. “I just...I miss Johannes...and Papa...and all my ghouls, so fucking much...”

Henrik gently runs his nose up the side of your neck. “We know, dear one. And we’re going to get you back to them as soon as we can. We swear.”

You close your eyes at Henrik’s caress but when you open them again, you see John bow his head and take another step back. “What’s wrong?” you ask. 

“It is my fault. I took you from them. I should never... you shouldn’t let me touch you... I don’t deserve it...” 

“John, no,” you say, cupping his face and making him look at you. “You were doing what you were told. And if we’re assigning blame, I deserve some of it. I was running away from them and I should never have done that.” Your fingers caress his face as you look into his eyes. “And you will touch me...I insist.” You lean in and capture his lips in a soft, gentle kiss.

At first he doesn’t react, but then slowly, slowly, he starts responding. His arms go around your waist, hands pressing warmly against your lower back where your shirt rides up. He’s soft with you, as if afraid he’ll hurt you, but you don’t mind. Henrik presses against you from behind, and you moan into John’s mouth. The bodyguard, it seems, has a thing for scents, as he inhales deeply against your hair and neck, and you feel his erection digging into your lower back insistently.

You reach behind you, finding Henrik’s head and digging your hand into his hair once again. Your other hand is wrapped around the back of John’s neck, keeping him close as your kiss gets deeper and he snugs you closer to him, pressing you against the length of his body.

You are so close to both men that you can feel their hearts beating in their chests. You moan into John’s mouth, then whisper, “Is the door locked? I don’t want the king to walk in.” Henrik walks over to the door and locks it, and the sound has a hint of finality that makes you shiver. You resume kissing John, who suddenly picks you up and sets you down gently on the bed, never breaking the kiss with you.

Your hands go to John’s braid and you start to unravel it, carding your fingers through his dark hair as he deepens the kiss, growling into your mouth. The mattress sinks next to you, and then Henrik is there, sliding his hands underneath your shirt, one hand moving up to cup a breast, the other moving down to cup your mound over your jeans.

You gasp into John’s mouth, hips raising into Henrik’s touch. Your own hands quickly start shedding your clothes, desperate to feel their skin on yours. The men get the same idea, and clothes go flying to land in a heap on the floor. They are built thicker than Johannes is, but only just, and their skin is warm and silky under your hands.

“You’re both so...beautiful...and smooth,” you whisper as you let your hands slide over their chests. “How can you all be so beautiful?” 

Both men chuckle. “Neither of us is as beautiful as you,” Henrik murmurs. They are both just staring at you, drinking you in, and you begin to blush under their intent stares.

“L-Look, I’m really not, I’m average at best,” you stammer. Even after all the attention heaped on you from your boys, you still can’t consider yourself attractive. You feel beautiful in the heat of the moment, but not when these two magnificent men are staring at you like this. You squeeze your eyes shut and let out a shaky breath.

“I think you should let us be the judge of that,” John says. The bed shifts, and you can feel them moving in close to you, one on either side. 

“I agree,” Henrik said. 

“Something tells me you’re biased.” 

Fingers are dancing along your arms, trailing up your thighs. “John and I are far more objective, having only just met you. No, no, keep your eyes closed.”

You swallow, shivering at the soft touch on your thighs, and do as they ask. “You have a little bit of acne on your thighs,” Henrik murmurs, and he leans down and presses kisses to the trouble spots. “It detracts nothing from your beauty.” 

John smiles faintly. “Being in a tour bus shower isn’t a good spot for grooming. You have not been able to shave in a while.” His hand runs up your leg, and you gasp in both embarrassment and sensitivity as he suddenly presses a soft kiss in your armpit. “Everyone grows hair, it’s natural. It detracts nothing from your beauty.” You realize what they’re doing, and you can’t help but smile and relax some, even as your heart thuds loudly in your ears.

Their slow, careful catalog of your body has you writhing between them, your breathing nothing more than shallow gasps, your hands scrabbling for purchase, looking for something to hold on to because you feel like you’re about to fall apart.

And after each “flaw” they point out, they’re very careful to say “It detracts nothing from your beauty.” They take hold of your hands, and they are silent now. Instead of telling you what they see, they now start showing you how they feel. They cover every inch of your skin in kisses, nips, and licks, exploring you once again, and by the time they are done kissing at your toes you are desperate for any friction at your core, and you move your hand down, rubbing rapidly at your clit.

“Oh no, no, that’s our job,” Henrik says as he gently pulls your hand away. “You don’t want us to be out of a job, do you?” 

You whimper, “Please, please,” and your hips buck.

“Mmm, keep begging. I know John likes it,” Henrik says with a smile as he licks your fingers.

John scoffs. “That is hardly a beg. Someday we shall truly make you plead for release. But right now...I do not know how much time we have. So...” His face suddenly dives into your cunt, and he’s lapping and sucking at your clit. He chokes on a cry at how you taste, and Henrik has to cover your mouth with his hand to muffle your cries.

Henrik moans as he watches John work, then his head drops to your chest and he begins to lick and suck first one nipple then the other, keeping his hand on your mouth, and you cry out into the palm of his hand. Your cry only gets louder as John inserts first one then a second finger into your cunt.

With a growl John rips away from your pussy. “Henrik, you need to taste that. She’s...fuck, she’s sweeter than wine!” You blush faintly, swallowing as you breathe hard through your nose. The logical side of your brain that never shuts up wonders if that has anything to do with your conduit nature--your boys have said much the same thing.

Then you’re not wondering anything as Henrik releases your nipple with a pop and switches places with John. John pinches both your nipples as he kisses you deeply. Henrik settles in between your legs and inhales deeply at your opening.

You turn crimson into John’s kiss as Henrik breathes in at your pussy. But any embarrassment works against you as you feel yourself get even wetter. Henrik groans loudly. “You have an embarrassment kink...fuck that’s hot. But never mind that. You smell like...like utopia...” And then his tongue slides slowly, thoroughly through your folds. Henrik’s eyes widen in shock, and he stares at John in disbelief.

John pulls away from your mouth. “I know, I know,” he says as he rolls your nipples between his fingers and licks the very tips of them. “Keep going...I swear she gets sweeter as you keep eating.” His words embarrass and inflame you at the same time, and your hips move, pushing your cunt into Henrik’s face.

You cry out as his tongue suddenly shoves inside you, his fingers gently rolling your clit. Your thighs shake as the pleasure threatens to swamp you. Your fingers slide into both Henrik’s and John’s hair, keeping them right where they are, feeling the coil beginning to tighten in your belly.

John begins to suck on one nipple as his fingers continue to roll the other and you arch your back into his touch as you spread your legs wider. Henrik moves his tongue in and out of you, pressing on your clit now. You hold on for as long as you can, but Henrik’s tongue and fingers are insistent...the coil in your belly explodes...and you wail your pleasure to the room.

John’s hand claps down over your mouth to stifle your cries, though he himself is growling at your breasts as he sucks and licks and rolls more firmly. Henrik makes a muffled cry as he drinks down your cum, the nails of his free hand digging into your hip and keeping you right at his mouth. Drunk on your taste, his hips rut against the bed, cock painfully hard.

You push John’s hand aside and gasp, “More, more...I need more...”

“What do you need?” John says around your nipple. “Tell us...” 

“I need you... in me ...” you say, breathless, hips bucking into Henrik’s face as he laps up more of your cum.

Henrik doesn’t wait. In a flash your legs are around his thighs and his cock is rubbing slowly along your folds once. He pushes in, stifling a cry against your chest, face wet on your skin. He doesn’t let you adjust, and you cry out as his hips snap against yours.

“Fill her, John...fill her mouth,” Henrik groans as he pistons in and out of you, hands gripping your hips. 

“Please!” you say on a wail. John quickly moves to your head and kneels over you, his cock heavy as he drags the tip along your lips. You wrap your arm around his thigh and open your mouth, letting him feed his cock to you before you wrap your fingers around its girth at the base. Now you’re full, both men stroking in and out of you, and you moan around John as your hips meet Henrik’s every thrust.

Your body is on fire; the previous orgasm, while incredible, has done nothing to put out the flames of desire burning up your insides. John feels and tastes wonderful, and Henrik feels like a dream as they both move within you. “I’m not going to last like this!” Henrik gasps out, hips starting to lose their rhythm. Calloused fingers seek out your clit and rub rapidly, and you scream into John’s cock as you come again almost instantly, making Henrik grit his teeth against a yell of his own as he spills himself inside you.

Your orgasm is still rocketing through you when John follows with a shout, spurting hot cum in your mouth, and your throat works to swallow everything he gives you, your little gulping noises and cries muffled by his cock.

Henrik falls to the side with a gasp, nuzzling his face into your hip, shuddering still in the aftermath of his explosive orgasm. John collapses to the side as well, panting hard, shivering faintly as your saliva cools on his cock. After the three of you try to catch your breath, Henrik sits up. “Bathtime. You know we need to be extra thorough, John. We can’t let the king or anyone else smell us on her.”

“Wait.” You struggle to think clearly, still a little lust-fogged. “He can smell you on me?” 

Henrik nods. “Of course. It’s our wolf side...enhanced senses, especially smell. It’s acute enough that we can sense changes in emotion. Didn’t Johannes tell you?” 

“Not...not that I can remember...of course, there was a lot of...other stuff happening,” you say, still trying to catch your breath.

John smiles. “I’m sure as you were getting more and more frustrated, he was more and more worried about you. Do you remember that?” 

You think back, heart calming, then nod. “Yeah I do. Wow...that’s pretty cool. What do emotions smell like?” 

“We’ll tell you in the tub,” Henrik says with a smile. “Come on.”

He offers you his hand, which you take, and he pulls you up and leads you to the bathroom, John following close behind. “Wow,” you breathe as you take in the enormous whirlpool bath that takes up an entire side, with a breathtaking view of the ocean. “That looks big enough for ten people. Who usually stays in this suite?” 

Henrik starts the bath. “The king’s lover. When he has one. No one has occupied this suite in a very long time.”

You can’t help but snort. “I wonder why that is.” They stay silent, and you sigh. “I’m sorry. I know he must have been a good man, but...I don’t know that man. And I tend to get snarky when I’m pissed off.” 

John kisses your temple. “We’re not upset with you. But we cannot laugh at this.”

“Of course not,” you say, somewhat chastened. 

Henrik smiles and beckons to you. “Come here, let’s clean you.” His smile turns into what can only be described as a lustful grin. “I bet you look fantastic when you’re wet.”

You grin back, a hint of a smirk on your lips. “Johannes and Papa think so.” You take Henrik’s hand and step down into the water, sighing as John pours some down your back.

They both begin washing you, using an odd-looking soap you’ve never seen before. “What is this stuff?” you ask, sniffing at it. 

“It’s a special blend, made here in Avatar Country. Designed to eliminate scents.” John runs his hands down your back, lingering at your ass. “My spies use it when they’re on assignment.”

You frown. “Does everyone use it here?” 

“Yes,” Henrik murmurs, running a washcloth over your chest. He is quiet, enjoying the way the soap clings to your skin and slides down your breasts. One hand comes up, sliding through the suds to cup your breast, and he sighs in pleasure.

You inhale sharply at his caress. “Do you...are you... I don’t know how to ask this without sounding vain...” You close your eyes as John starts to wash your hair. “You said you wanted to feel...did it work? Are you...feeling something other than pain?”

Henrik nods, leaning up and kissing you softly. “I am. I feel...a warmth in my heart that I have not felt in some time. I...didn’t realize how cold I truly was...thank you.”

John is gentle with your hair, and he presses a kiss to the shell of your ear. “And I feel the same...we owe you so much, lovely...”

You smile at their words. “That’s good. I really...I don’t understand exactly how this all works, and...” You pause. “I wasn’t completely sure it would work, to be honest.” You close your eyes again. “I still can’t believe this all is happening some days.”

Henrik frowns faintly. “You were just a normal fan before that night...and now you have nine loves who aren’t fully human. If you were taking it completely one hundred percent well, I would think you were insane.” He cups your cheek as his other hand washes at your hips. “For what it’s worth, you seem to be doing very well.”

You shake your head. “Well, when you put it that way, it makes me feel a lot more hysterical. Maybe I’m just really really good at living in denial.” 

John sighed. “I don’t know about that, but I can definitely tell you that you are skilled at thinking very little of yourself. You should stop that.”

You blush faintly as Henrik nods in agreement. “Well...it’s hard to stop something you’ve been doing all your life. Even now I don’t see what everyone sees in me.” 

Henrik cups your face, looking deep into your eyes, and his own are dark and depthless. “We see strength. We see beauty. We see wit. We see courage. And we see loneliness...and we want to take that loneliness away...”

Tears slide down your face at his words. “It sounds so beautiful when you say it. But there’s still a part of me that doesn’t believe it ... that it’s just the conduit thing making you say it.”

“Oh love,” John says as he gently rinses your hair out. “We saw all of that before we made love. Do you know how badly I wanted to comfort you on the trip here? I couldn’t...couldn’t stand that we had hurt someone so courageous...” And his voice is thick with regret.

Henrik uses his thumbs to wipe away your tears. “And from the moment we were told that you were still alive and Johannes was with you, I knew you had to be an extraordinary woman.” His kiss is soft, gentle, sweet.

You kiss back, wrapping your arms around his neck, and your kiss is equally sweet. John finishes rinsing off your hair, and he peppers kisses across your shoulders, before pulling back. “Can you smell anything on her?” They both proceed, to your horror, to sniff you all over, and you stand there stock straight and beet red.

“Christ, how did I get wrapped up with a bunch of guys who like to smell me all the time?” you mutter. “I swear y’all do this just so you can turn me red. I may have a shame kink but you boys have a blush kink.”

They both laugh softly. “Maybe we do,” John says teasingly, pinching your ass gently. “What are you going to do about it?” 

“What can I do about it?” You shoot back with a grin. “I’m just an untrained conduit.”

“Oh, my sweet, you are definitely more than that,” Henrik says softly. “I don’t smell either of us on her. What do you think, John?” 

“I think we got everything...although I gotta say, I just want to get my scent all over her again...” Henrik says nothing, just smiles knowingly as he reaches for towels.

“Don’t forget to wash yourselves too. Won’t do for the king to smell me all over you both,” you remind them as they dry you off. You give each a kiss on the cheek and go out to the bedroom, sliding under the silky covers with a soft sigh. The bed is comfortable, but...without a Papa or a Johannes in there with you...you feel tears pricking your eyes again, and you pull the covers up over your head.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the seed of an alliance is planted ... and plans are made...

Johannes finishes dressing in his court uniform, the first time he’s worn it since the night he arrived at the church. He’d figured he ought to look official to meet with the Clergy ... but he keeps fidgeting as he stares in the mirror. 

Papa comes up beside him. “What’s wrong, my wolf? You can’t be that nervous about meeting the Clergy.” 

Johannes looks at Papa in the mirror. “Something about this doesn’t fit right,” he mutters.

Papa smiles faintly, stepping under Johannes’s arm and putting a hand on his chest. “You look extremely handsome in this get-up...but this isn’t you anymore, dear one. You belong to our goddess...and a little to me. Would you be more comfortable in clothes that reflected that?”

Johannes snorts. “We don’t really have time to play dress up the wolf. Besides, the stuff I took on tour needs to be washed, I’m not wearing any of that to go talk to these head ghouls ...or...whatever they are.”

Papa sighs softly, laying his head on Johannes’s shoulder. “Well, that’s too bad, because I already had something made up.” He turns Johannes, and behind them Earth is standing there, holding up a suit. It’s almost pure black, and very reminiscent of what the ghouls wear, except instead of there being the alchemical symbols on the right breast, there’s a leviathan cross and a wolf’s, raven’s, and panther’s head stitched in silver. “Earth advised me. I have not seen you transform into the panther, so I can only assume that he knew through his visions. What do you think?”

Johannes stares at the suit, speechless, for long moments. He looks at Earth, who grins, then at Papa, who smiles warmly. “I... really? You...for me?”

Papa nods, pressing a kiss to the wolf’s jaw. “If you want to wear it, that is.” Secretly, the dark pope is actually a smidge nervous. He doesn’t know if Johannes will like the suit or not.

“I...” Johannes swallows hard, trying to get past the lump in his throat. “I don’t ... I don’t know what to say.” 

“Say you’ll wear it,” Earth says. “You’ll...ha. Well. You’ll look better in it than I will.”

Papa shakes his head as he gently pushes Johannes toward the young ghoul. “You are always too hard on yourself, Earth. And Johannes, you could start with a thank you.” And there is just a hint of a tease in his tone.

“Well, it’s true, Papa, it’ll look ridiculous on me...ha. Have you seen the length of the pants?” Earth laughs and Papa does too, but it’s a nervous laugh ... Johannes still hasn’t said anything...

Papa cups Johannes’s cheek and turns his head. He studies his expression carefully, but he can’t get a read on it. “My love? Are...are you pleased with it?” He shares a worried look with Earth, suddenly second-guessing everything about the gift. “I-If you do not like the color, o-or you want different symbols, that can be arranged...”

Johannes grabs Papa and kisses him deeply before he can say another word. When he comes up for air, Johannes stares into his mismatched eyes. “It’s amazing. You’re amazing. Thank you.”

Papa looks a little dazed, but then he smiles softly and stands on his tiptoes, pressing his forehead to the other man’s. “You are very welcome. Go on and change, we must see how it fits! Earth, if you’d like to assist him?” And he ushers them both toward the bathroom, excited that he loves it.

Earth hangs up the new suit and grabs Johannes’s old uniform as he takes each piece off. “What do you want me to do with this?” the ghoul asks. 

Johannes doesn’t answer right away as he pulls on the new suit. “Just...I’ll put it away. It’s...well, I’m not quite ready to burn it.” He looks at himself in the mirror, and this time he’s not fidgeting.

Earth smiles as he adjusts the belt around his middle. “How does everything fit? We um...had to guess some of the sizes, but...well. Papa has a good eye for that kind of thing.” 

Johannes can’t help but smirk as he recalls several past nights. “Yeah, his hands helped too, I’m sure,” he murmurs as he pulls on his boots, the only part of his court uniform he decides to keep wearing, and straightens up. “I’m...impressed. You guess well.” He turns to Earth. “Well?” 

Earth breathes deeply. “Stunning. Just...well. Stunning.” He smiles. “Papa will be...speechless.”

Papa himself is pacing in front of the bed, anxious to see how the suit looks on his wolf. He hopes that it makes him feel more at home. He turns at the sound of the door opening. Earth steps out first, and the little ghoul gives him a beaming smile. Then Johannes steps out, and Papa feels like he’s been punched in the chest. The clothes hug the wolf in all the right places, the black of the suit accentuating his pale skin. His hair is unbound, and looks so achingly soft that it’s all Papa can do not to go and press his face to it. He feels...he feels like a young man again, untried in the ways of sex, and looking at the first man he’s really wanted. A blush rises to his cheeks, and even though he’s standing there in full papal regalia, he feels so...powerless against the other man’s beauty. He has no words, but the look on his face, and tears in his eyes, say plenty.

Johannes stares at Papa as he pushes his hair back with one hand. “Thank you. It’s a work of art, truly .... just like you.”

The blush on Papa’s face deepens, and he swallows hard. “Y-Yes, w-well, it’s just a little thing...i-if there’d been more time, I would have h-had something more o-ornate...made up... W-Well, let’s get going shall we?” He turns and strides for the door, hands shaking just a tiny bit, trying to will his erection away.

Johannes moves, suddenly right behind Papa, and places a gentle hand on Papa’s shoulder, making him turn to face him. “It’s not a little thing. Not even close. It’s thoughtful and beautiful...it’s a gift unlike anything anyone has ever given me before. Because it’s not just a fancy suit you offered me ... it’s acceptance, and honor...pride...belonging. And probably a dozen other things I can’t put a name to right now.” He kisses Papa deeply. “And when we have her back, I’m going to thank you properly.” Another deep kiss.

Papa melts into the kiss, hands delving into his hair before pulling away. “We belong to each other, Johannes. And most of all to our goddess. There is no need for thanks, dear one, not when all those things you said are more than freely given. And I...” Papa cups Johannes’s face softly. “Hear me out: I do not want you to get rid of your old uniform. Not only because you do look really handsome in it, but...I do not want you to forget your friends. I know they are important to you. I do not want you to forget the friend your king once was. I want them alive in your heart. And know that someday, I will help you get them back. I have no fucking idea how...but we will.”

“Thank you.” Johannes stares at Papa for several seconds. “Now I understand what the fangirls mean when they say ‘stop being so perfect.’” They both chuckle, and kiss. 

“We need to go,” Earth says as he hands Johannes his fedora and skull-top cane. “I figure you want these too.” 

“You’re right, little dude, thanks.” Johannes slides his fedora on, spins his cane once, twice, tucks it under his arm, and grins as his makeup appears around his eyes and mouth....and suddenly the clown is there, lips pulling into a wide smile. “Let’s do this.”

Papa grins. “You’re going to impress them, my love.” He sweeps out the door, a stern look replacing the grin on his face. They make for an intimidating group: Papa and Johannes in front, Papa’s robes billowing behind them, the clown’s grin large and terrifying. The ghouls fan out behind them, in full garb, eyes hard behind their masks. Special is there as well, eyes cheerful, but aura dark. They make their way through the church to the main meeting hall.

Papa doesn’t hesitate, just pushes the doors open and glides into the hall, followed by Johannes and the ghouls. Johannes halts—the hall is dark, and he calls up his wolf so he can see better...but then he realizes this isn’t regular dark ...

A hand on his back makes him start, but Fire’s voice speaks softly: “Don’t hesitate. This meeting hall is for only the most important business, and this darkness is meant to find out just how important that business is. If you stop, you’ll just find yourself at the door again.” And Fire walks on, confident. 

Johannes frowns, but then feels a smaller hand take his, and Earth’s voice is soothing. “Come on, let’s go.” And he starts walking.

Johannes gives himself a hard shake and walks farther in, stopping when Earth stops. The silence is deafening. Suddenly, into the darkness, Special’s voice rings loud and clear, in a language that Johannes has never heard before. It reverberates around the room, and then all is silent once more. Then Special speaks again, this time in English: “Unholiest of unholies, the Divine Discord’s representation on this plane, your infernal children come before you seeking guidance and assistance in their work to spread your fearsome knowledge both far and wide. Grant us your time and wisdom, oh infernal ones.”

At first all is silent, and then a voice rings out, and it’s speaking simultaneously in English and in that language Johannes doesn’t know. “YOU WHO COME BEFORE US. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE UNITED STATES, ARE YOU NOT? WHY HAVE YOU COME BACK?” 

Papa takes a step forward. “My humblest apologies, but something precious was stolen from us. We need to get her back.” 

“HER? YOU WOULD STOP THE TOUR OVER A WOMAN?”

Aether steps forward. “We would not do such a thing for just a woman. She is more than that. She is a conduit.” Silence, but it’s a full silence--Johannes can tell this news has intrigued the unseen Clergy, and they are thinking hard. 

“CONDUITS ARE VERY RARE. YOU ARE SURE THIS IS A CONDUIT?” 

“Very sure, infernal ones,” Aether responds. “And she carries the marks of protection bestowed upon her by Satan.”

The silence after that proclamation is heavy, and then, “SATAN MARKED THIS GIRL THEMSELVES? HM. AND SHE WAS STOLEN YOU SAY? BY WHO?” 

Papa steps forward. “The king of Avatar Country. You see, this woman stumbled upon us having an…argument on tour with the king’s inner circle and band. We had to bring her here for seeing too much. The king sent Johannes here to...to fuck her and then kill her--his orders, not Johannes’s choice--but the nature of the conduit makes those who--” 

“WE KNOW WHAT A CONDUIT DOES, EMERITUS, WE DO NOT NEED A LESSON. JOHANNES, IS IT? THE DOSE OF LOVE SHE PROVIDES WITH SEX SHOULD HAVE WORN OFF, AND YET YOU ARE STILL HERE. WHY?”

Johannes pauses, then says, “Because the love I feel goes beyond what the conduit provides. Because she belongs to us.”

“EMERITUS, YOU FEEL THE SAME? GHOULS, YOU AS WELL? EARTH, WE KNOW OF YOUR POWERS OF SIGHT. WHAT HAVE THEY SHOWN YOU ABOUT HER?” 

Everyone turns to the small ghoul who, despite being suddenly the center of everyone’s attention, stands up straighter. “My sight has shown me few details, but I do know she is important. It is not coincidence that we met her. She was given to us, by design.” Earth pauses. “As was Johannes.”

“WE SEE.” There is a long pause then, the silence becoming more and more oppressive. Papa and the ghouls are all calm—outwardly anyway—but Johannes starts to pace. Finally, after what seems like decades, the voices come back. “WE MUST CONFER MORE ON THIS MATTER. POSTPONING SIXTEEN MORE TOUR DATES IS NOT A MATTER TO TAKE LIGHTLY. WE WILL SEND FOR YOU WHEN WE HAVE OUR—” 

There’s another pause, and the voice gasps as another pipes in. “OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE. WHY DO I LEAVE YOU IN CHARGE WHEN ALL YOU DO IS ARGUE? POSTPONE THE TOUR AND LET THEM GO, THAT’S AN ORDER.” 

“Y-YES, MY LORD! WE WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!”

“YOU FUCKING BETTER.” And though they can’t see, they know this new voice is looking at them. “BRING HER BACK. THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME GOOD SURPRISES IN STORE SOON, I THINK. WAIT HERE...OH, FIVE MINUTES, AND YOU’LL SEE WHAT I MEAN.” And then there is silence, and slowly light starts filtering into the room, and they find themselves in a completely empty space no larger than Papa’s bathroom.

“What. The Fuck. Just happened?” Johannes breathes. “Who the fuck was that? And what the fuck did it mean, wait here five minutes?? What can happen in five minutes?!”

“A surprising amount can happen in five minutes.” Papa comes over, putting his hands on Johannes’s shoulders. “Stay calm, my wolf. That last voice was Satan. There must be a plan going on in Avatar Country.” He starts pacing, thinking deeply. “Satan has never led us astray before…” 

Water frowns. “Papa, I don’t think anyone here wants to wait, even just five minutes. It’s still going to take time to travel there.”

The other ghouls all murmur their agreement. Johannes gives Papa a heated look, shaking his head. “I don’t care. I’m not waiting. And if I have to, I’ll shift and head out right now, and you all can follow along when you’re ready. But I’m not waiting.”

Papa sighs, cupping the taller man’s cheek. “I cannot change your mind, can I? Very well...Two of the ghouls, please go with him. Earth and...Water, I think. When you—”  
He’s cut off by a knock to the door, and when he opens it, Johannes recognizes one of John’s spies. But Papa blinks. “Are you not one of the new Acolytes? What are you doing here?”

“I am sorry to interrupt. I bring a message from Henrik, John, and Tim.” The spy looks right at Johannes as he speaks.

\---

Henrik stands at the door of the suite, watching you sleep, trying to convince himself he’s doing his job and not just watching your deep breaths move your breasts up and down, studying the little twitches of your fingers, examining the way your hair lies across the pillows... The knock on the door rousts him from his daydreaming, and he opens the door to let Tim stride in, John following behind.

Tim frowns, watching you sleep. “This is her?” He pauses, then, grudgingly, “She’s beautiful...but why am I here?” 

John looks at Henrik and sighs, stepping behind Tim to lock the door. “There’s things we need to talk about, Tim...”

“Yes, Tim, I’m afraid there’s been some... developments...that we need to take into consideration,” Henrik says quietly. 

Tim watches his comrades, his face impassive. “Look, I don’t have time for mysteries and veiled words. Either tell me what you need to tell me, or figure it out and tell me later.”

John looks at Henrik, then sighs and says bluntly, “The king is fucked up, he has been for a long time, and everyone knows it. We have the opportunity here to unfuck him and get Johannes back safely.” And he motions to you. “She is our salvation from this hell.”

Tim looks at John, then at Henrik, back to John. “Uh-huh. Ok. Are you jet-lagged or something? Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?”

“Tim.” Henrik looks at the other man, and his face is deadly serious, though there’s a hint of confusion in his eyes. “She’s...she’s not just a human. She’s...special. That’s one of the reasons Johannes stayed with her. I know this sounds insane, but it’s true. John does not sound ridiculous, you know the king never used to be this way.” He puts his hand on Tim’s shoulder. “You cannot tell me you haven’t noticed.”

Tim stares at Henrik, then says, “All right, maybe John doesn’t sound ridiculous, but he sure as hell sounds treasonous.” He knocks Henrik’s hand from his shoulder, pulls away. “What the hell are you two doing even thinking about any of this? Especially after what happened to Johannes? Do I need to remind you what happened to him, repeatedly, for questioning the king?” He shoots a quick glance at you, then turns back to Henrik and John. “It sounds to me like this girl has told you some story to get your sympathy flowing and to help her out. Leave her be, let the king handle this.”

“No fucking way,” John snaps, scowling. “That’s exactly what we’re talking about. The old king, the old Jonas, wouldn’t have even thought about doing that to Johannes and you fucking know it. It’s gone on long enough.” John points to you. “She will help, and we’ll prove it to you. At least fucking talk to her.”

Tim scoffs. “She’s going to help? Some human girl is going to help us...what? Betray the king? What the hell has gotten into you two?” 

“Well...” you say, voice sounding sleepy as you sit up and stretch. “I suppose you could say I got into them but that’s not entirely accurate.” You yawn, then look at each man in turn. “Hi, Tim.” You look down at yourself, and the blush starts almost immediately. “Dammit, naked AGAIN. WHY is this my life?” you mutter.

Henrik smiles faintly and comes over to you. He can’t help but kiss you gently and smooth a hand over your hair. “Morning. Tim is here to be convinced to help us.” You glance at Tim again, who is staring open-mouthed as he watches Henrik embrace you.

“Are you sure that’s why he’s here?” you ask. “He looks more like he’s here to knock you upside the head, quite frankly.”

“Henrik, have you lost your fucking mind? What are you doing?” Tim really does look like he’s about to haul off and hit someone.

John plunks himself in front of his friend, and his voice is low and dangerous. “Our eyes are open, my friend. Have you gotten so used to blindly following shitty orders that you no longer have concern for Jonas, but only care about the king? Are you. That. Afraid?” Henrik subtly shifts in front of you, as he senses the fight about to break out. 

The first punch is thrown so quickly that John’s head is rocked to one side and he slams his fist into Tim in return before you realize that Tim punched John first. “You dare call me afraid?” Tim is seething. “You two are the ones cowering behind some naked chit who was supposed to be dead weeks ago!”

You gasp as they do this, and you watch as John drives his foot viciously into Tim’s chest. “We are not cowering, you fucking dolt! We are planning to save our friend, who you apparently don’t fucking care about anymore!”

In an instant Tim shifts, and John follows suit...two huge wolves, one pure black, the other sable brown, are snapping at each other in front of you. “Jesus Christ!” you gasp as you roll to the other side of the bed, taking the sheet with you. 

Henrik moves in a flash, jumping across the bed and grabbing you by the arms, moving you to the farthest corner of the room. “Don’t move,” he says, and he whirls around, shifting into a pale-blond wolf and bounding in between the other two, snapping at them both and halting the battle.

You watch as they all stand there and growl at each other, and you swallow, but your mind is made up. You wrap the sheet around you more firmly, and you start forward.  
Instantly all their heads snap to you, and Henrik and John whine warningly, but you don’t listen. You walk slowly and carefully up to Tim, who takes a step back and growls at you. You hold your hands up, and you feel your energy start to rise. Slowly you get onto your knees before him. His ears are flat, lips drawn up in a silent snarl. You notice with a soft smile that the sable color is darker over his top lip where his mustache would be. Carefully, you lean forward and gently wrap your arms around the wolf. “It’s okay, Tim. It’s okay. You don’t have to fight.” And you let your energy wash over him.

His hackles rise up instantly, his entire body stiffening at first. After a couple of minutes, the sable wolf backs up and sits down, taking you with him, because you don’t let go of him. The black wolf makes a move, growling, as if to intervene, but the blond wolf whines, nudges the black, as if to say “hold on...” Meanwhile, the sable wolf’s body language changes from threat/attack to confusion: his ears are still flat but his head is tilted, like he’s listening to something inside. And you maintain your hold on him, and you feel that energy exchange, the one Aether had been talking about, start to take place.... “Please believe me, Tim,” you whisper.

He doesn’t change back yet, but he does lean down and sniff at your hair curiously. You let him, trying not to giggle when you feel his wet nose press against your neck. You don’t let go, bare arms tightly wrapped around his neck and shoulders, silky soft fur pressing against your skin. Even with the soap that erases scents, Tim can still smell people on you in wolf form. There’s many he’s only passingly familiar with—those would be the ghouls and Papa. But then there’s...he presses his nose to the top of your breast and inhales deeply, letting out his breath with a small whine. There’s Johannes. A shudder passes through the wolf, and one paw wraps around you to pull you closer as he takes in the scent of his lost friend.

All this comes to you through the energy exchange, and you hug the wolf tighter. “He is fine, and he is free. I promise,” you murmur. “And you will be too. All of you.”

The wolf ripples beneath you, and suddenly you’re hugging Tim, who’s crying softly into your shoulder. “I miss him...I miss them both...but I don’t understand what you can do to help. Or how you...you took Johannes from us to begin with...” 

You smooth a hand over his hair. “I’ll explain, Tim. Turns out that I’m not just human...I’m what’s called a conduit...” And as you launch into the story, Henrik and John come over, back in their human forms, and sit next to you both.

As you speak, you idly stroke Tim’s hair, and then begin to touch the other two men as well, alternating between them. Gradually, you all begin to shift positions, without consciously realizing what you’re doing, making it easier for you to touch them and for them to touch you.

You relax under all their touches, head resting on Tim’s shoulder, eyes closed as you recount your story. “...and I’m sure they’re freaking out right now...” 

Tim sighs, fingertips sliding through your hair gently. “I...I believe you. And I don’t even know why. I don’t know why I’m even sitting here with you like this...but there’s something about you beyond even this conduit thing...” He cups your cheek, tilting your head up. “I should be defending my king...but I know you’re right. You’re all right. I’m sorry for being a dick about it...and for hitting you, John.”

John rubs his jaw. “Enh, it was a lucky shot anyway.” He grins as Tim gives him a playful shove. “Dick.” 

He nods, returning his attention to you. “I said some fairly nasty things about you ... things you didn’t deserve. I apologize.” 

“It’s all right. I’ve heard worse in my time,” you try to joke. 

The men surrounding you are having none of it, however. “You won’t ever again, if I have anything to say about it,” Henrik says as he runs his hand down your back. The other two grumble in agreement.

Tim sighs softly, looking down at you. “So...what you did for Johannes after he...well...forced you,” and he winces, pain in his eyes, “was your conduit energy? And I assume that yesterday she...provided for you two?” Henrik and John both nod. “And you think this would work on the king?”

“I’m assuming so,” you say. “It worked on everyone else. The only thing I’m not sure of is....” Your voice trails off as you consider everything you know, which isn’t much by a long shot. 

“Is what?” Tim asks. 

“Well, none of you have any idea what made your king change. And assuming it is a spell or some crazy supernatural thing...I don’t know. What if having....” you blush, “what if the conduit isn’t enough to free him? I don’t even know if I’ve truly freed you, Tim. We didn’t...well, we didn’t. I don’t know enough about myself to guarantee anything.”

Tim sighs, leaning his head back on the wall and closing his eyes. “There is a large part of me that still wants to...to defend our king. But...our king now is not who I’m defending. He never was. I have been trying so hard to keep the old Jonas alive in my heart and my mind that...that I’ve been blinded...but I’m seeing better now.” He looks down to you, and his eyes crinkle with laugh lines as he smiles to you. “Maybe you should try to free me. It...would be nice to feel something as beautiful as love again.”

“So you don’t feel totally free?” you ask as you place a hand high on his cheek, letting your thumb trace his eyebrow. “I hate that you have all felt so...cold and unloved and...sad. No one should feel like that, ever.”

Tim closes his eyes again, leaning in to your touch. “I don’t believe it’s really a matter of being free in the way that you think of it. We are trapped by...by ourselves. We remember Jonas as he used to be, as a fair and just ruler, as our friend who used to joke around and...” He smiles, but there’s deep sadness there. “We used to have a poker night every week. We’d drink ourselves silly, just talk and laugh and...and now you try to joke with him and he just...stares at you like you’ve grown another head...” 

“He hasn’t even flirted with one of the serving girls in years, and he used to make them light up red left and right...” John murmurs.

You smile at their memories. “I wish I knew that king, he sounds like fun. This one hasn’t impressed me, I’m afraid. But,” you kiss Henrik and John in turn, “I am willing to do everything I can to give you back the king you lost.” You turn your gaze to Tim. “May I kiss you?”

Tim hesitates for a moment, looking to John and Henrik in turn. They both nod to him encouragingly, and he looks back to you. “We have been nothing but assholes to you, little conduit. Why would you go so far for us? I...” He closes his eyes and presses his forehead to yours. “I feel like the past few years have just put a permanent haze over me, and this entire situation isn’t helping...” 

Henrik murmurs, “It isn’t helping just yet. But let her make love to you, and the haze will lift.”

“Why do I go so far...I don’t know...I just...” You pause. “I’ve always loved you guys, even when I thought you were just a great metal band ... and it hurts my heart to think that any of you are suffering in any way ...and knowing I can help, I just...I have to do something. I have to help somehow.” You stare into his eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”

You feel him start to tremble against you, and his hands come up and cup your cheeks. “Yes. Yes, kiss me, please...” You don’t hesitate—you lean forward and kiss him as if your life depends on it. He groans into your mouth, passion igniting like a wildfire as he’s enveloped in your energy and your scent and your taste. He’s simultaneously enthusiastic and patient, making you chase him into his own mouth with masterful and teasing strokes of his tongue against yours.

You rise up on your knees as you let your tongue tangle with his in his mouth, the kiss deepening as you loom above him. You bring both your hands up to cup his face, to keep him from breaking the kiss before you’re ready, and you feel the sheet that’s been covering you all this time start to slip and fall away... and you don’t care at this point.

John and Henrik smile to each other, but don’t interfere. They know Tim needs this. They do helpfully pull the sheet away, tossing it back on the large bed. Tim seems content to let you dominate the kiss, though his hands slowly run over your waist, making you shiver. The taste of his mouth is amazing, and you moan into his lips as your tongue slides with his.

Slowly, a little clumsily, you move closer to him, and straddle him, lowering yourself a bit so you’re almost sitting in his lap, still kissing him as he wraps his arms around you, allowing his hands to slide up your back and into your hair.

He groans at the touch of your hips against his, and he slowly rolls his growing erection against your naked center. You cry out into his mouth, the fabric of his pants deliciously rough against your folds, and your hands tangle into his own hair. All the men from Avatar Country you’ve been with so far have had hair longer than yours, and you love it, love how silky it is, how good it feels against your skin and tangled with your fingers.

He tears his mouth away from yours, gasping for breath as he pulls on your hair, yanking your head back, baring your neck, and he runs his nose along your neck, breathing in your scent, kissing the pulse at the base of your throat. “My gods,” he whispered, “what are you doing to me?”

“Freeing you,” you gasp, shuddering against him as he scents you. He can feel your heat through the fabric of his pants, and he growls into your neck. “Loving you. Saving you all.” And with that he cries out and bites down on your shoulder, keeping enough presence of mind to keep the mark under where your clothes would lie.

You cry out, writhing against him. “God, don’t stop,” you gasp. 

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he says into your skin as he uses your hair to bend you back farther, giving himself room to drag his lips from your neck down to your breasts.

You cry out, the pain in your scalp delicious as he bends you backward. Your breasts are pushed out for Tim’s easy reach, and he growls as he takes one nipple between his teeth, tongue flicking it rapidly. You gasp, shuddering as it quickly hardens in his mouth, and he rolls his clothed erection against you again, sliding firmly over your clit. You whimper his name, fingernails digging into his shoulders.

“Take me, just take me,” you moan. “I need you to take me.” Tim growls as he pulls you back up and captures your lips in a rough, thorough kiss. Your hands move from his shoulders, down his arms, blindly seeking the fastenings on his pants, pulling at them to undo them.

You get his pants undone and pull him out. He’s thick, with pronounced veins that you know will feel like heaven inside you. You shift, pressing him against your sopping entrance, and slowly, slowly drop down on him. You both cry out as he’s enveloped deep inside you, and you shudder, dropping your head to rest on his chest, hands going back to his shoulders.

He groans as you settle on him, allowing his width and length to stretch you. He gathers your hair into a ponytail, wraps it around his hand as he kisses the top of your head. Finally you raise your head to look him in his eyes as you lift yourself up, slowly, letting his cock scrape against your inner walls before dropping back down again, wailing as you move up and down, impaling yourself on him over and over.

He looks at you, awe in his eyes. He can’t believe how beautiful you are in this moment. His eyes fill with tears as he watches you ride him. “You are incredible,” he whispers, and then he’s pushing you back, laying you under him and rutting into you with desperation.

You wrap your legs around his waist, meeting his every thrust, pulling him close to you. His hair falls down around you, like a curtain, and you plunge your hands into his hair, gripping the back of his head and pulling him to you so you can kiss him again, letting him swallow your cries as he fucks you hard.

Off to the side, Henrik and John have settled in to watch, hands pumping themselves. “Fuck, she’s so beautiful like this...I was a little, uh, distracted before, but...wow,” John says softly, and Henrik smiles and nods. 

“She makes everything around her radiant,” he murmurs, slicking himself with his own pre-cum. 

Tim’s hand suddenly slips between you, gliding through your folds to find your clit. “You need to come,” he growls into your mouth. “You need...you need to come all over me...” You cry out his name, and you shatter as he presses on your clit, writhing against him as your walls strangle his cock.

His fingers work your clit through your orgasm and into a second one, and you’re still coming, throbbing around his cock when he comes deep inside you, grunting with each spurt, until you are both spent, gasping for breath, holding each other tightly. You’re both so wrapped up in each other that you don’t hear John and Henrik gasping their way through their own orgasms. 

He pulls away, looking down at you with awe on his face. “I...I feel love again...and oh, little conduit, it’s beautiful...” He presses his forehead against yours and trembles, and you feel tears fall against your eyelids.

You wrap your arms around him, anchoring yourself to him as your limbs quiver, and your tears mix with his. “You are all so beautiful, and you all deserve love and devotion,” you whisper. “I love you.”

“I love you too...I’m not sure how, but fuck do I love you...” He presses one last kiss to your now swollen lips, and gently pulls away, flopping onto his side on the floor, trying to get his breathing under control. 

At that moment there comes a knock on your door, and all four of you freeze. “My lady?” It is one of your handmaids. “The king requests your presence at breakfast in an hour.” 

You swallow hard, but call out, “All right, thank you!” You look to your new wolves, panic in your eyes.

Henrik is there in a second, offering his hand and helping you up off the floor. “It’s ok. I’ll be there, I have to be, I was ordered to guard you.” He kisses you, a soothing caress. 

“Just....fuck, watch what you say, sweetheart,” John says, coming up behind you and offering a hand to Tim. “You should have heard her talking to the king last night, it’s a fucking miracle he didn’t kill her right there.” 

You snort. “What’s a miracle is that I didn’t say more than I did.” John groans, worried about future interactions.

“You’re going to need to bathe again,” Henrik says. “And we need to come up with a plan.” He looks at Tim. “You’re the strategist, my friend. What should we do?”

Tim takes John’s hand and stands up, crossing his arms. “You know how my mind works. Even if I don’t really believe in what I’m doing, I plan anyway. Here’s what I think...” As they move you to the bathroom, he outlines his plan. “You know Emeritus, Johannes, and the ghouls will come for her. Why don’t we make their job easier? I’ll position my guards that day in such a way as to give them a straight shot to the king.” His eyes widen. “Hell, John, you still have a man at the church, right? Contact him, have him tell Emeritus to get here and we’ll help them. As long as they do whatever they can to get Jonas back. Happy endings all around.” You bite your lip as you listen. The plan sounds good...but what if your loves don’t actually love you anymore? What if they think you’re more trouble than you’re worth? You swallow back a cry and your tears, not wanting to let them know what you’re feeling right now.

John snorts as he scrubs your back. “Probably literally. You think it will be that easy?” 

“Of course not. Kungen is terrifyingly strong. But I think it’s possible.”

John nods and moves away from your back, drying his hands off and pulling out his phone. He contacts his spy in the church and tells him...


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you begin a dangerous game of cat and mouse...

“...you must agree to help get Jonas normal again, or there’s no deal,” the agent says, looking to Papa but glancing at Johannes. 

The dark pope looks at his wolf and frowns. “What do you think, Johannes? Could this be some sort of trap?”

Johannes frowns back at Papa. “I honestly have no idea. This is...I don’t even know.” He turns his attention to John’s spy, and his crazed clown grin spreads across his face, almost without him realizing it. “Well, man, speak up. How do we know this isn’t a trap? And don’t lie...you know I can smell them...” 

A look of terror crosses the spy’s face but to his credit, he stands his ground and faces the clown before him. “I was told, if you asked such a question, to tell you ‘popsicle.’”

Everyone’s eyes widen—Aether inhales sharply and Earth lets out a shocked little squeak. They all know at this point what that word means. Papa turns away, trying to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat. He takes a deep breath, then another, schooling his face into impassiveness, before turning back. “Very well, we believe you. Give us a moment to confer.” The spy nods and steps back, keeping an eye on Johannes as he does. 

Papa brings everyone in for a huddle. Whispering, he asks, “Johannes. Do you think your king can be saved? It sounds like our goddess is planning to use her conduit powers on him.”

Johannes’s laugh is wild...he hasn’t quite put the clown aside yet. “Sounds to me like our goddess has already opened up a can of conduit whoop-ass. Good god damn, she’ll have herself installed on the throne by the time we get there. That woman is fucking amazing....” He shakes his head, still laughing.

Papa smirks. “I am so proud of her.” Then the smirk fades and he sobers again. “If that is the case then we must be near when she comes for the first time. I have a feeling...I just have a feeling. We must leave, now.” Papa turns to the spy. “You have a deal. Take us there, immediately.”

Almost as one, they all turn and head for the door, but Johannes stops Papa. “What feeling are you talking about? Do you think she’s in danger still?” The frisson of panic he feels at Papa’s words chases the clown away, and his makeup fades, at least for the moment.

“People do not usually change on a dime like your king did. There must be a reason that he suddenly became a royal asshole, no pun intended. And I have a hunch that the love for the conduit he will encounter will throw off that change. We have to be there as it happens.” Papa puts a hand on his cheek. “Trust me, my love.”

Johannes covers Papa’s hand with his own and turns his head so he can kiss Papa’s palm. “I do. Let’s go.” They head out after the ghouls. “Maybe I should shift and fly ahead...” He casts a glance at John’s spy and shakes his head. “On second thought, we should stay together, just to be safe.”

Papa nods as they all pile into a van. “Yes, together is better. Please, tell us the layout of the castle.” 

While Johannes explains how the castle works, the spy sends John a message: “We are on our way as we speak. ETA is sometime tonight.”

John clears his throat as Tim and Henrik are in the middle of washing you again. “They’re on their way.”

Your head turns in John’s direction so quickly, your hair whips Tim in the face. “They are? Right now?” John nods, reads the message out loud. “Oh my loves,” you say on a sob and collapse in Henrik’s arms.

Tim splutters, laughing in spite of himself as he wipes shampoo suds off his cheeks. Henrik holds you tight, pressing his cheek to your soapy hair as he lets you cry in relief on his shoulder. “My little love,” he murmurs, “I hope the day comes soon when you will be happy here with us too...”

Your heart sinks, and you lift your head, looking at Henrik with an almost panicky expression. “Oh gods, I’m so sorry, gods, I’m such a jerk! Please don’t be hurt, I didn’t mean to sound like I want to get away from you, any of you. I just...” You reach out to Tim, stroking his cheek. “I miss them so much....and I was such a bitch before...before...and I ran...” You can’t stop your tears, it seems. “I was afraid they wouldn’t come, either because they don’t really love me or...or...because I was such a brat that they just .... decided to...” Your words dissolve into exhausted sobs.

All three press against you, murmuring softly, soothingly. “We understand,” Henrik whispers. “We took you from your loves, and even if you have new ones here, of course you would miss them. I simply meant that I hope someday we can all be happy together. With Jonas and Johannes and your Papa and his ghouls. That is all. Please, don’t cry...”

Your sobs subside, and you kiss each of them in turn. “I’m sorry for my hysterics,” you say.

“You don’t need to apologize,” John says, and the others agree. “It amazes me that you aren’t constantly raving.” 

You smile. “By the time this is all done, maybe I will be. And...” you start to giggle, “it’s starting to hit me that I have multiple loves to take care of....all you men might drive me to the edge anyway...”

“To take care of?” Tim asks, a playfully affronted tone in his voice. “We are capable of that ourselves perfectly well.” And he gives you a silly wink. John snorts in amusement, and Henrik hides a smile behind the curtain of his hair as he starts washing your leg.

You laugh, and nudge Tim on the shoulder. “So, already unhappy with the way I take care of you and it hasn’t even been a day.... I must be slacking.” Your heart feels light knowing Papa, Johannes, and the ghouls will be there soon.

Tim smirks and leans over, nipping your ear and growling, “Just wait until I can properly take care of you.” You shiver hard and kiss him deeply, before John ruins the moment by pouring a bucket of water over your head. Henrik laughs softly at your squeal as he washes your foot gently, glad there’s laughter in here again. 

All too soon the bath ends, and Henrik, Tim, and John leave just before the maid shows up. She gives you a beautiful teal dress with gold embroidery to wear. You smooth your hands over it, looking into the mirror as the other woman does your hair.

“Thank you for your help,” you say to the maid, who curtseys. 

“Of course,” she says. “You must look beautiful for our king.” 

“What’s your name?” you ask softly, and she blinks, almost taken aback by the question. 

“It’s...Melinda, my lady.” You nod and smile to her softly, and she wonders why she feels so achingly sad all of a sudden.

When she finally opens the door to the suite, you step out and Henrik is at your side immediately, his eyes glittering with love and desire. 

“You are breathtaking,” he breathes as he puts a hand on the small of your back and guides you down the hall. “I don’t know how I am going to stay impassive during breakfast.”

You blush faintly but smile to him. “Well, you’ll have to try your best.” 

You step into the dining hall, and even you have to admit that it is beautiful in there. Golds and reds make the dark oak furnishings pop. The main table is massive, and each oak chair boasts a luxurious red cushion for comfort. 

The king stands from the head of the table, coming around to take your hand with a smile. He is dressed casually in a white ruffled shirt and black, form-fitting pants, with boots polished to a shine. “Good morning, my dear, and Henrik. I hope you slept well.” His lips brush your knuckles in a polite, if slightly lingering kiss, and though his words and tone are charming enough, his eyes...if you hadn’t been looking closely you would say they were dead, but deep in his gaze you see despair.

You’d already decided to be on your best possible behavior, but that look in his eyes helps remind you. You curtsey, sort of, and say, “Yes, I did, thank you.” Henrik leads you to the chair to the immediate right of the king and helps you settle before looking to the king, who nods, apparently giving Henrik permission to sit at the table as well.

Henrik sits across from you, and the king settles back to the head of the table. Servants immediately start setting down platters and silverware. “For today, I thought I would give you a tour of the place. Yesterday was...unfortunate, and I apologize for my rudeness in not coming to see you.” 

You nod to him. “There were many harsh words spoken on both sides. I, too, apologize.” You smile, a hint of a tease to it. “I am still not used to getting kidnapped.”

Henrik holds his breath ... would the king take that as a slight, or no? There is the tiniest of pauses and then the ruler chuckles, and Henrik exhales in relief. “I suppose that is something one wouldn’t be accustomed to,” the king says with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

You give a soft laugh. “Well, with the rate I am racking them up, I may before long. I would love to take a tour with you—what I’ve seen so far has been absolutely breathtaking.”

The king inclines his head. “My thanks. Our designers did a fantastic job. What do you think of your rooms? Are you comfortable?”

“I am wanting for nothing,” you reply, though there’s so many unspoken words in the air that Henrik can very nearly see them.

By the end of the meal, Henrik is wishing that Tim and John were there, if only to have someone to share the unrelenting tension with. He’s never felt this uptight before in his life ... every time you speak, he waits for the king’s reaction, afraid that his sovereign will move to harm you and that he will have to strike his king.

To Henrik’s surprise though, you are able to flow with the king marvelously. He seems taken with you, laughing at your jokes and wit, gently debating a few philosophical points (of which the old Jonas believes in none). Henrik is totally unaware, however, that it is taking absolutely all your mental fortitude and minimal acting skills to pull this off. If you weren’t concentrating on being as poised as possible, you would have already sweated through this beautiful dress (which, in your eyes, would be a shame—you want Papa and Johannes to see you in it soon).

Tim strides in. “My King, the morning reports, if you are ready for them.” 

The man so named nods and stands. “Royal duty is never done. Please excuse me, my dear. Henrik, why don’t you take her to the gardens? I’ll meet you there and then we’ll have that tour I promised you.” 

You and Henrik rise from the table. “That sounds lovely,” you say as you attempt another curtsey.

The king smiles at your attempt and bows, then strides from the room with Tim (who is using all his willpower to not look at you beyond a cursory glance). 

You look at Henrik once the king is out of the room, and you allow your hands to start shaking finally. “Air actually does sound good,” you admit, a slight tremor to your voice. 

\---

Once down the hall, on the way to the king’s office, Tim speaks. “What do you think of her, your majesty?”

The other man frowns. “She’s a common woman. Overly opinionated. Uncultivated. At least she cleaned up her mouth, she sounded like a whore last night.” Tim’s fists clench. _I cannot haul off and punch my king,_ he tells himself. _I cannot._ “It doesn’t matter anyway. As soon as we find out what she did with Johannes and get him back, we’ll be rid of her.”

Tim nods as they get into the other man’s office. “If I might ask, sir, Johannes did commit treason and disobey you. What are you going to do with him when he’s back with us?” He hates asking, because he’s not sure he wants to know the answer.

The king throws himself on his chair, leans back and props his feet on his desk. “By rights, I should have him executed.” Tim stiffens. “But then we’ll need to train someone to become the assassin, and that’ll take too damn long. It’ll be easier in the long run to imprison him, whip him, like before.” He stares out the window. “May need to have him whipped a few times. But I suppose that will depend on what that woman did to him.”

Tim nods. “As always, your wisdom is best.” And as he shows the king the paperwork for this morning, the words taste like ashes in his mouth.

\---

Henrik leads you out to the gardens, and you smile faintly at the rows of flowers. “It’s beautiful out here,” you murmur, sitting down on a bench. Henrik says nothing—he doesn’t know how long you have before the king returns and doesn’t want to destroy your plans. But he aches to touch you, to tuck flowers into your hair.

“I don’t know how much more of this I can do ... I was never an actress, and I feel like any minute he’s going to call me out,” you whisper. 

“You’re doing fine,” Henrik whispers back. “You’re impressing the hell out of me.”

You sigh softly, propping your chin in your hand as you watch some roses sway in a warm breeze. “Thank you, Henrik. I just hope this is over soon. I want to get used to my new normal...”

Henrik’s hands itch to stroke you, but he stops himself, and just says, “It will be. Papa and Johannes are on their way. We all just have to hang in there a little while longer.”

You sigh. “Hurry, my loves, hurry.”

\---

The loves in question are just now getting to the airport, after a tense and slightly awkward ride. Awkward because Johannes kept making John’s agent sweat. The clown is not happy with anyone from his former-current-former home, and without knowing the full story, he decides to stay that way. So every time the agent looked in the rearview mirror, the clown’s manic and wild grin greeted him. By the time they get to the airport and onto the king’s private jet, the agent had nearly sweated through his gloves. 

Boarding the plane, Air suddenly frowns. “Hey, everyone, I just had a thought. We’re landing at the airport in Avatar Country in full view of any citizen and worker who has to take a flight. What’s going to stop anyone from sending word to the king that people from Ghost are here?” 

Everyone pauses, looking at each other, before Special pipes up. “I’ll take care of that, but I’m going to need energy.”

Johannes, still not quite comfortable with Special, clears his throat. “What kind of energy? Are you talking about the kind of energy our goddess deals with, or are you looking for someone to sacrifice a chicken or something?”

Everyone gives Johannes a look. Papa raises an eyebrow. “Sacrifice a chicken? My love, this is the twenty-first century. Just because we are demonic doesn’t mean we still do blood sacrifices.” 

Johannes blushes faintly as Special pats his shoulder. “Common misconception, but perhaps once this is over you should learn some more about the church. No, I am talking about the energy the ghouls can feed others. I will not need too much, but as we walk through the airport, everyone must touch me. We will be invisible and ethereal to everyone so long as you maintain a connection to me.”

Johannes grumbles as they settle themselves in the plane. “How was I supposed to know what he was talking about?” he said. “‘Learn some more about the church’...like there’s been any time to study up...fucking christ...”

Papa chuckles softly and takes his hand, pressing a soothing kiss to his knuckles. “That is why he said when this is over. No one is mad or offended, love.” He smirks teasingly at him. “We all know about your smart-ass mouth by now.”

“I should hope so.” Johannes squeezes Papa’s hand. “I’m sorry. This whole thing is just ... a lot. And you know I don’t react well to ... a lot.” He’s quiet for a beat, then, “I’m afraid we’re putting her in a shitload of danger by trying to save the king. If something goes wrong...”

Papa frowns as the plane heads for the runway. “Are you saying you’d rather kill your friend outright? I can’t imagine you want to do that at all, not when there’s a chance to save him. And if Tim, John, and Henrik are there, they should be able to keep her safe long enough for us to intervene.”

“No, I don’t want to kill him, of course not. And she would never forgive us if we didn’t let her try to save him, you know how she is.” Johannes turns and meets Papa’s gaze. “But you know damn well if it all goes sideways, I’m choosing her.”

Papa cups his cheek. “I know how you feel about her. I know how you feel about me. And I know how I feel about you both. But...these are the men you grew up with. You would throw it all away for, and forgive me for speaking practically, a woman you’ve known for a month?” His breath hitches at the words, and Johannes can tell how much it hurts him to say it. But it has to be said, because this decision cannot be taken lightly.

Johannes sighs. “Yes. Yes I would. Tim, Henrik, Jonas, John ... yeah, they’ve always been there, we’ve been together forever. I want them safe too, and I’ll do my damnedest to make sure they are. But yeah, I’ll throw everything else away for her. Every time.” He stares at Papa. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t do the same?”

Papa stares back, then looks around at the ghouls. Fire, Earth, and Water are all sitting together; Fire ruffles Earth’s hair, who is blushing about something the taller ghoul said. Water laughs and slings an arm around the young ghoul’s shoulders. Air is deep in conversation with Special and Aether, their heads together across the aisle, Aether gesturing softly. A tear streaks down Papa’s face, then another, and he turns forward again and lowers his head. Johannes can barely hear him as he whispers, “I...I don’t know...”

Johannes cups Papa’s head and draws him in to rest his head on his shoulder. “It’s OK, Papa. I get it. If we’re lucky, we won’t need to worry about it. We save the day, everyone is ok, and we get a happy ending.” 

“And if we’re not lucky?” 

Johannes sighs. “Well, maybe that’s why there’s the two of us, together. We split the responsibility, we come out on the other side with everyone ok.

“But she’s always my first priority.”

Papa nods, hand clutching hard at Johannes’s. The fact that he can’t put you before his ghouls...it is killing him. But thinking about putting you above the men he considers family...that kills him too. He shudders, and more tears fall onto Johannes’s new suit, the symbol of his new home that all of a sudden feels just a tiny bit...hollow...and that just makes the dark pope clutch all the tighter to his love.

Johannes wraps his arm around Papa, hugging him tightly. “Don’t cry,” he whispers, “please don’t. It kills me to see you cry.”

“I’m sorry,” Papa whispers into the taller man’s chest. “I’m so sorry...” Johannes tries to comfort him, but Papa’s emotions are getting the better of him. They hold each other as the plane takes off, needing their goddess back as much as they need air. 

\---

It takes a little while for the king to get out into the gardens, but you stand up and smile to him as he approaches. “My most sincere apologies for making you wait. Tim likes to bury me in paperwork every morning.”

“The responsibilities of being king must be ... burdensome,” you say as you curtsey (hmmm, getting a little better) and then take the arm he offers. 

He leads you down the walkway and Henrik follows, eyes alert. “It isn’t for the faint of heart,” the king says. “But it is a worthy thing to take care of so many.”

“You sound like you care about your subjects a great deal,” you say, making sure that approval colors your voice. 

He nods, smiling that superficial smile to you. “They are most important, of course. They are why I do this.” You just stop yourself from snorting, turning it into a nod instead, though mentally you are rolling your eyes. 

The tour isn’t as horrible as you were expecting. The history of the castle is interesting, and you have no shortage of questions the king patiently answers. By the time you make it back to the great hall, your feet hurt and your stomach is rumbling. The king smiles emptily and pats your arm. “Dinner is not for a while yet, my dear. Henrik, if you will take her back to her rooms so she may rest? I must go check on a few matters, but I will have some light refreshment sent to your quarters.” He bows to you politely and strides down the hallway.

You are silent the entire way back to your rooms...so silent that Henrik starts casting concerned glances your way. At the suite, he opens the door for you and you walk in and head straight into the bathroom and shut the door. 

“Are you all right?” Henrik asks as he stands at the door, really starting to worry now. You say nothing; all Henrik can hear is running water and then, quite distinctly, the wretched sounds of vomiting.

Henrik doesn’t hesitate—he walks right in and kneels next to you, pulling your hair away from your face and rubbing your back soothingly. You vomit up your entire breakfast, tears streaming down your face and gasps for breath escaping you in between streams of puke. Finally, there is nothing left to come up, and your dry heaves subside. Henrik wipes your face with a cool washcloth and waits for you to speak.

“Well, that was ... not fun,” you say when you finally feel able. 

“Are you ill?” Henrik asks. “Was it just nerves?” A look of panic crosses his face. “Are you ....” 

You interrupt him. “I think ... I think there was something in my breakfast.” 

“What? You mean poison?” 

You shake your head. “No...a drug...unless food here in Avatar Country is not meant for humans.” You swallow. “When it started affecting me, the protective wards on me kicked in. Pulled everything out of my system...made me puke.”

Henrik sighs heavily. “It’s the truth serum. The king must plan on questioning you tonight. It takes a while to get through your system, and there’s no way to detect it as there are no symptoms.” He smiles faintly, cupping your cheek. “Never thought I’d be grateful to Satan...”

“Welcome to my crazy, mixed-up, slightly satanic life,” you say. You try to laugh, but it comes out more like a wail, and you drop your forehead onto his chest as tears begin to slide down your face. He wraps you up in a firm embrace, then picks you up and carries you to the bed, taking off your dress and getting you to lie down.

You turn your face into his chest and silently cry until exhaustion drags you into sleep. Henrik presses his lips to your hair before gently disentangling himself from your sleeping form. He steps just outside the door and enlists a passing servant to summon John. This is a problem that needs to be solved before dinner.

When John finally arrives, Henrik tells him what happened and John drops onto the bed and watches you sleep. “You’re sure she’s all right?” 

“Other than exhausted and scared, yes she’s fine.” 

“Good. I don’t want to have to tell Emeritus that she’s been harmed ...or Johannes for that matter.” 

Henrik nodded. “Neither do I.” They watch you for a few minutes, then Henrik says, “If he’s trying to give her the serum, he wants this done tonight. This is going to move fast when it starts. How soon til Emeritus and Johannes get here?"

John checks his watch. “A few hours. Tim messaged me earlier—the rotation for the guards tonight has been changed and they have a straight shot for the throne room. But...there’s something we’re overlooking. The king is going to expect her to be telling nothing but the truth about Johannes and her time at the church. What do we do about that? Just have her tell the truth?” John frowns, worried.

“I don’t know. He could never smell lies like Johannes can, but he isn’t stupid either.” Henrik gets up and starts to pace. “Then there’s the whole conduit thing....she may need to use that sooner than we were thinking...” He growls. “I don’t like this. There’s too much we can’t control, and it’s too fucking dangerous.”

“We still have a few hours before dinner. We can coach her on what to say.” John gets up and puts his hands on Henrik’s shoulders. “We can do this. We have to. Or else we lose everything.” They both look to you, asleep on the bed, leviathan crosses glowing faintly on your skin as the protective wards work to keep you safe.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which what was hidden is brought to light...

It’s been so dark for so long that Jonas almost can’t remember the last time he’d been conscious of himself... he wishes that he couldn’t...he tried so hard to stop it...stop the... but Jonas is sure that was long ago...years...and since then he has been in the dark....not bothering, not looking...not able to watch.... But last night something roused him...something...a melody....a scent...a promise....someone?

He struggles toward that...whatever it was. And through the haze he’s been in he feels...and smells...and tastes and hears and holds... It’s warm, and bright, and it feels like...hope. He becomes more aware, he starts seeing light. Familiar smells...what are their names? He...Henrik. Yes, Henrik. And John...and Tim and...he pauses. Johannes. His heart hurts, why does his heart hurt why does he remember screaming, the scent of blood oh god...

What did he do what did he do...oh god what did he do...the crack of the whip...he’d tried to stop it...but he had been pushed down...down deep...and that’s where he will go again...to forget... But this time there is a voice...asking him to stay...to hang on...

The light brightens, becomes almost unbearable...the dark is all he’s known for so long...the dark is soothing, is soft, is...is safe. But this voice...this voice is also soothing and soft...and beautiful...the voice is the light. He wants to keep listening to it, he wants to warn them, to save them save them save them SAVE THEM—he is conscious now, but his body won’t do what he tells it to. There is a woman, she...she is talking to him-that-is-not-him, she sounds like she’s smiling, but her tone is still guarded. The being using his body doesn’t notice—it thinks her beneath it, it thinks all of them beneath it, it is just using them to get to...to get to...Emeritus. And the Clergy, and Ghost. It wants to erase them from this world and it is going to use Avatar Country to do it. No!

He has to save them. Save them all ... but he doesn’t know how ... yet.

His body is talking with Tim. He can hear it as if his ears are muffled. Talking about...executing Johannes?! Imprisoning and whipping him?! No, no no no nononono—something is trying to push him back down in the dark. He won’t let it, pressing back against the force with all his might. The being doesn’t even twitch an eye as it is talking to Tim, but it can’t push him down again either. He has some time, he needs to gain a foothold in his own mind...what can he use...

Ah, that’s better: he can see through his eyes again. There .... among the flowers ... the brightest, most beautiful flower he’s ever seen ... no garden in Avatar Country has ever produced such a brilliant bloom ... she speaks to him-that-isn’t-him and smiles, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes ... she knows something isn’t right ... he tries to break through, to reach her, to tell her he is there, that they need to save everyone, but he can’t get past the force inside him. She is there, though, and when he focuses on her, on her presence, on her energy, he feels better, more aware...

He holds that energy close now as he-that-isn’t-he gets ready for dinner. The being has given her John’s truth serum, preparing to get answers for...for what? He...listens to the other’s thoughts—for what she did to Johannes? What could she have done to Johannes? It seems that Johannes...he left. Relief shoots through him, pure and powerful. Johannes is safe. She has done something to help him, he knows it. That beautiful bloom who is making him stronger inside his mind, just with her energy. He thinks, if he could get some more, he might be strong enough to break through again...he has to try to reach her, to ask for her energy. He thinks maybe he could...or maybe with someone he knows better. He closes his mental eyes so that what he-that-isn’t-he is seeing is blocked out. He sends the tiniest portion of his energy through the room, out the halls, down the stairs, and he finds Henrik, with her, watching as a maid brushes her beautiful hair. She’s dressed in a dark red gown with embroidered gold vines twining down her arms, and the dress suits her, making her into the loveliest rose he’s ever seen. But he goes to Henrik and slips into his own energy. *C-Can...can you hear me, my friend?*

Henrik startles at the voice in his mind, jumping so that you look at him in the mirror, eyebrow raised, but otherwise silent because of the maid. Henrik shakes his head just a bit, but you keep watching him. *I hear you...but is it REALLY you?* Henrik reaches for the voice in his head....

The relief that Henrik can feel from this energy makes Henrik tear up. The voice murmurs, *Our last poker night, Tim got so drunk that he ended up making out with one of my statues in the main hall. He thought it was his favorite maid.* 

Henrik bites his cheek to keep from making a sound, nods to you in the mirror, then walks into the bathroom and shuts the door. He presses his back to the wall and slides down to the floor, hands over his mouth to stifle sobs of relief. *Y-You’re...wait, what is going on? I don’t understand!*

The energy flares, jumps like a candle flame, and the voice says, *My friend, my friend,* and he sounds like he’s crying. *I don’t understand it all either…* 

Henrik closes his eyes, focusing inward. *My King, my true King, we... You have been missed.* He swallows, trying to regain his composure.

*Listen to me, my friend, my wonderful Henrik. I don’t know how much time I have doing this. That woman you’re with—I don’t know why but she’s important. So important. You need to ask her to feed me-who-is-not-me her energy. It’s...her energy is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I think it can give me enough strength to temporarily regain myself. She knows something isn’t right.*

*W-Wait…’he-who-is-not-me’?* His thoughts go silent for a moment as he starts to realize what may have happened to his king. *I think I understand now. But I wouldn’t worry. This woman is ... she is our salvation, my King.* Henrik grins. *Have no fear .... she’ll be feeding you energy soon enough. She is going to try to free you like she did the rest of us. Be ready.*

*Free me? Like she...how does she do that?* He sounds confused and a little apprehensive. But at this point he’s willing to try anything.

Henrik chuckles. *Oh my King. You have no idea what you’re in for ....* 

At that moment, you open the bathroom door and peek in, see him sitting on the floor. “Henrik, are you ok? What’s wrong?” You kneel next to him carefully, trying not to mess up the gown you have on. “I sent the maid away...are you hurt?”

Henrik feels his king’s energy stutter for a moment, before burning all the brighter. *She is radiant…* Henrik senses a gasp, then the feel of a head-shake flits across Henrik’s mind. *Never mind that, tell her now!* 

Henrik beams to you, eyes still swimming with tears. “Oh, my love, I am beyond good. It’s the king—the actual, real king—somehow your energy...I guess it woke him up earlier? He’s.. trapped inside himself somehow? And he’s talking to me through his own energy. He says that you need to feed him your energy at dinner and he should have enough strength to take over his body briefly.”

You inhale sharply. “Seriously?” You grab Henrik’s hands. “If he can take control, that will help me ... it will be easier for me to have sex if I know it’s really him.” 

The energy in Henrik’s mind practically explodes. *What did she just say??* 

Henrik laughs, a full, true laugh that makes your insides melt. *You heard her right, my friend.*

*She helps by having sex with people?!* There’s a very distinct feeling of fingers pinching the bridge of a strong nose. *Normally I like to at least have a drink with a person, but...I suppose a drink will have to wait in this case.* 

Henrik relays the message and you can’t help but laugh and blush faintly. “Trust me, sir, it was a shock to me too.” 

Jonas is staring at you through Henrik’s eyes. Your blush... *Don’t worry about me being ready for you, my dear,* he growls. Henrik makes a face, but relays that too.

Your blush deepens and your core clenches. “I-I won’t, your majesty,” you say, then mutter, “Damn this blushing shit to hell...”

Henrik’s face falls and he closes his eyes. “He’s gone.” He rubs a hand over his face and swallows hard. “He’s still there...he’s...he’ll be okay...” And he bursts into relieved tears.

You throw your arms around him, holding him tight, stroking his hair and murmuring soothingly as he allows sobs to wrack his body. Meanwhile, Jonas settles back in his own mind, feeling more awake and focused than he has in longer than he cares to think. He still doesn’t understand everything that has happened and is continuing to happen, but Johannes is safe, he’s talked to Henrik, and that blushing flower of a woman is in his castle .... he is feeling much more like a king.

\---

Johannes, meanwhile, suddenly feels an inexplicable lightness in his chest for about ten minutes, which goes away again as they land. He frowns faintly, rubbing the spot as he stands and gathers with the ghouls. “All right,” Special says as John’s agent finishes securing the plane. “You ghouls know what to do. Papa, you know the drill as well. Johannes.” The arch-demon looks at the wolf and his eyes crinkle. “All you have to do is to keep your hand on me and you’ll be fine.”

“Will I though?” Johannes mutters to himself as he gingerly places a hand on Special’s back. He hears chuckling, slowly realizing it is in his head, and then Special’s voice is there, saying, *Oh you are a dear thing, wolf. I promise you’ll be fine... I don’t unleash my full true nature unless you beg. And come to think of it...that could be arranged…*

Johannes, to his horror, blushes faintly, and to cover up his embarrassing reaction he scowls at the ghoul. “The fuck are you in my head for?!” 

Papa smiles and pats his arm as he too puts a hand on Special. “My wolf, simply think of him as...well, sort of an extension of myself. His human form is modeled after me, anyway.” And he preens, obviously pleased with the job that Satan did on his counterpart.

A thought of himself, Papa, and Special with you flashes through Johannes’s mind and he feels a little wobbly with the sudden erotic visual writhing in his brain. “Is that...you doing that?” he asks quietly. 

“No...not yet, anyway,” Special responds. “You’ll know it’s me when it feels so real you can taste it.”

Johannes’s mouth actually waters, and he swallows and shakes his head to clear it a bit. 

“There will be time enough for sex after this is over, my wolf,” Papa says with a chuckle. “For now, we still have an hour to the castle. Let us focus. Special, whenever you’re ready.” 

The arch-demon nods. “Remember, everyone, do not take your hands off me for a second. Ghouls? You may begin.”

They head off the plane, keeping contact with Special, a strange-looking huddle indeed (if they could be seen) as they move into the airport and allow John’s agent to make the arrangements for the final leg of their journey. 

Meanwhile, Henrik has composed himself and is leading you to the formal dining room, while you try not to fidget. “We will all be there,” Henrik says, “we will be able to help if you need it. And I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear.”

You look to him with a shaky smile. “I know. I’ll do my best, but I...I can’t help but be nervous. There’s so much at stake here...” 

Henrik can’t help but lean down, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “We will succeed. If not...everything we love dies.” 

You swallow. “That doesn’t help, Henrik!”

“Oh. Yes, I guess that didn’t, did it?” Henrik smiles apologetically. “I’m nervous too. Talking to Jonas was great...but it made things more immediate.”

You nod, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Well, let’s do it.” You approach the doors to the main hall and a servant, who winks at you, opens the door. The lights are dim. Hundreds of candles light the place, giving a very intimate setting. John and Tim are already there, talking with the king at the head of the table. He looks up when you come in, the same dead look in his eyes, but you know that Jonas is alive behind them. The king stands, coming around the table and bowing to you. “My dear, you are a vision. I do believe red is your color.”

You curtsey, almost a pro now, and allow the king to take your hand. “Thank you. The dresses you’ve given me are beautiful, I’ve never worn anything like them.” As the king leaves a light kiss on your knuckles, you pump the smallest bit of energy toward Jonas that you can manage. The king doesn’t seem to notice, just leads you over to Tim and John.

The king chuckles as he pulls out your seat for you. “Only the finest for my guests.” He pushes you in, and you pump another tiny spark of energy into him. He sits, watching Henrik sit next to you. “So, my friends, how did your day go?” They chat amongst themselves, and you concentrate on gently pushing energy in for Jonas. You have very little practice in moving your energy yet, so keeping the levels down enough to not be noticed is taxing. Jonas, however, is grabbing all these scraps and making himself stronger. Soon now...very soon... Henrik keeps glancing at the king, wondering how long it is going to be before the questioning begins.

It starts out so subtle that no one realizes right away that the interrogation has begun. The first few questions are innocent, the type of getting-to-know-you queries that pepper dinner parties....where are you from, what type of work do you do, do you have siblings, any pets... But when the king asks, “What kind of music do you listen to?” your heartbeat picks up a notch. 

“Oh, all kinds, really...”

“What do you think of our pride and joy, Avatar?” 

Well, here we go, you think as you cast a quick glance at Henrik. “Well,” you say with a softly teasing glance. “I was at the show that night. I think you all are amazing, to be honest.” You decide against mentioning Ghost; you aren’t sure how well that would go over. Tim and John are both looking relaxed and amused, but their hands are sweaty on their silverware.

“But none more so than our vocalist, I’d wager.” 

You keep your eyes on your wineglass but you can feel that cold dead gaze on you. “Well, the vocalist is usually the focal point of any band...” 

“How did you get backstage that night?”

“I was looking for the bathroom,” you answer honestly, meeting the king’s dead eyes as you feed Jonas another bit of energy. 

“Johannes made it to the church. What happened?” he says, and there is a hint of a snap to his voice. 

You think fast. “He didn’t want to kill me. He knew I was just in the wrong place in the wrong time. Underneath the clown, he’s a good man.”

The king stares at you for a very long time. “Who are you?” You start to say your name but the king interrupts. “I mean who are you...really? Where do you come from? Who sent you?”

“Nobody sent--” 

“DON’T.” The king stands suddenly, hair whipping about. “Who sent you?”

You stay calm, though your heart is hammering. “If you remember correctly, your majesty, you had me kidnapped. No one sent me.” The others are tense in their seats, John gripping his long knife under the table. Tim glances down at his watch quickly— _where the fuck are you, Johannes?_ he thinks, starting to feel panicked.

The king slowly, slowly comes around the table toward you. “Do not.” Step. “Play stupid.” Step. “With me.” He is looming over you now and you keep looking at your wineglass. “Who sent you backstage?”

“My bladder sent me backstage. Along with a security girl who gave me bad directions.” You look up at him, feeding another piece of energy to Jonas—it is becoming easier the angrier the king gets. Jonas is almost ready. One more piece of energy should do it. The room collectively holds its breath.

The king’s right hand reaches out, grabbing you around your neck. Tim, John and Henrik jump up, almost as one entity. Before they can do anything else, though, the king holds his left hand up, seemingly freezing the three of them, stopping them from helping you. His right hand squeezes, the pressure on your windpipe increasing quickly. “Someone sent you. Who? And why did you take my assassin? What part of the plot is he?” He begins to pull you off your seat by your neck. “Answer me.”

You gasp, oxygen being cut off as you’re pulled into the air. Your hands clasp around his wrist, but suddenly you’re smiling. “He’s not yours anymore.” And you spit in the king’s face the same instant you give Jonas the last piece of energy.

He looks confused for a brief moment, and then he throws you to the side as he suddenly realizes that Jonas is surfacing, but the struggle is brief...and the king’s stance is suddenly completely different as Jonas takes back his body.

The force freezing the other wolves disappears, and as soon as he’s able to, Henrik moves like lightning—you fall into his arms with a gasp, coughing as air is allowed into your lungs again. Jonas is there in the next instant, pulling you into his arms. “I am sorry, my beautiful flower, and I will make it up to you later. Right now, I don’t know how much time I have.” And he kisses you desperately. You whimper into his lips as he picks you up, laying you out onto an unused part of the table, hands desperately pushing your dress up above your waist. 

Tim and John go to stand with Henrik, and both of them are crying silently. “He was in there, buried, the whole time…?” John rasps, pain and joy mixing in his expression.

Jonas groans when he sees you’re not wearing underwear. “Really, little flower?” 

“We don’t know how much time we have, remember?” you whisper as you tug at the fastenings of his pants. “I didn’t want to waste any of it.”

Jonas laughs, low and rough. “It was not a complaint, trust me.” He leans down, swatting your hands gently away as he undoes his own pants at the same time he slides his tongue through your folds. You cry out and Jonas growls against your clit, latching his lips around it and sucking hard. Then he’s pushing into you, stretching you wide, and you wail his name, fingers wrapping around his dreads.

His pace is fast and almost brutal, but you match him, meeting each thrust with a gasp. He slides his hand between you and presses your clit with his thumb, and your gasps become long drawn-out moans.

He bites down on your neck, hips slamming into yours, with bruising force. “You need to come,” he growls into your neck desperately. “I-I can’t... it’s fighting me... i-it’s so strong...y-you need to come!” 

“Let us help,” John says as Jonas’s friends and comrades move closer. He picks you up, turning you toward them and impaling you in mid-air again. Henrik falls to his knees and immediately starts lapping at your clit. Tim and John push your dress down and start licking and sucking your nipples. You aren’t going to last long at this rate.

You wrap one hand around Jonas’s dreads again, the other hand sinking into John’s hair. You lay your head back against Jonas’s shoulder and all you can do now is feel...you are surrounded by sensation and desire. Your insides coil within you, tighter and tighter, winding up fast, and you rapidly approach the edge.

“That’s it, that’s it, almost there!” Jonas gasps, hips snapping into your ass. One more thrust and you scream out your orgasm, and Jonas roars with his. At almost the same moment the doors burst open, and Johannes and Papa stride through.

Your entire body is shuddering from the force of your orgasm, which is still ricocheting around your insides as Henrik’s tongue on your clit extends the sensations. You finally look over and see Papa and Johannes in the doorway and you reach for them...

Papa’s eyes well with tears, and he’s rushing forward. He doesn’t care about the other men surrounding you, or the king, who’s coming down from his orgasm behind you. He reaches you, throwing his arms around you, the force of it pulling you off and away from Jonas about three feet, and he kisses all around your face. “My ghuleh, my goddess, my love...you are all right!” His tears land on your skin but neither of you notice as you’re kissing him back, crying in relief to be back in his arms. Henrik moves back, watching with a small but sad smile, and Tim and John join him.

You can’t speak...between your tears and your orgasm, you are completely incapable. And you don’t notice anything else until Johannes shouts, “Papa, get her away...get her away from the king!” 

Papa looks up, his eyes widen. “What in....” he whispers as he pulls you with him.

“What...” You look behind you and see...something... _spilling_...out of Jonas…


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the light reveals its darkness...

You gasp as Jonas falls to his knees. Light begins to bubble out of his eyes, his mouth, even his nose and ears. It seems to pour out forever until the last drops spill, and Jonas falls over, unconscious. The puddle of light on the floor shoots over to the throne and begins to rise. Slowly, it takes the form of a humanoid with golden skin and a muscular body. It’s hairless and seems genderless, and a pair of pure white-feathered wings, tipped in red as if dipped in paint—or worse—unfurl from its back. The being’s eyes open, golden light shining through its orbs, and immediately glare straight at you. “I KNEW YOU WERE NOT TO BE TRUSTED. HOW DID YOU DO THIS?!”

The being rises up, high above the throne, and invisible hands grab you by the neck, lifting you high into the air and toward the being, so quickly that you are out of Papa’s reach before he can stop it from happening. You soar across the room and end up dangling right in front of the being, staring into its blood-red eyes, the golden pupils glowing, blinding you. “WHAT ARE YOU? WHO SENT YOU?” 

“I’m ... just ... a ... fangirl...” you rasp out. 

The being’s mouth opens and an unearthly shriek fills the room, making everyone cover their ears. “TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE!!!”

The leviathan crosses blaze on your skin suddenly, blinding the being in return and making it throw you away. You cry out as you land hard on the floor, feeling your right ankle snap. Blinded by pain, you barely notice Tim pulling you out of the way and out into the hall, the doors shutting on the scene of your ghouls and your Papa transforming and getting ready to fight. Special appears next to the three of you and looks down to Air. “Protect her out here. Tim...that’s a goddamn angel! We’re going to need your help!” Tim nods, and he and Special rush into the throne room, the huge doors slamming shut behind them. You stare at the doors. An angel? If Special is losing his usually controlled tone like that, this must be deadly serious. 

Air sinks down next to you, checking out your ankle, and any thought of what was going on is wiped from your mind as one of your beloved ghouls is next to you again. “I think it’s broken, little one.” 

“I don’t even care right now. It’s just...oh my gods, AIR!” you wail out as tears streak down your face.

Air snatches you into a tight embrace, holding you close for long moments, before he puts you at arm’s length and stares at you, gaze like a laser, then hugs you close again. “I haven’t been able to breathe for two days, I’ve been that damn scared. Don’t do that again, ever, please.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...I just...I heard what they said about the conduit and about how I’m forcing you all to love me and—” 

Air cuts you off. “The love you give only lasts twenty-four hours. And we still came for you. You are not forcing anything we did not already want to give.” You stare at him, and then burst into relieved sobs, burying your face into his chest as he cradles you close. 

Inside the main hall, Jonas wakes, staring up at the ceiling. He’s in control of his own body again...and then Johannes’s face is hovering above his, and he smiles. “My friend...I am so sorry...”

Johannes helps Jonas sit up. “We have you back ... that’s what matters,” Johannes says, then drops his forehead onto Jonas’s shoulder. “Fucking christ, Kungen. Fucking. Christ.” The two men grab on to each other in a fierce embrace. 

“Fuck yes. Christ, man, how will you ever forgive me? Or even look at me? How will anyone?” 

“We will. You are our king.”

Jonas makes Johannes look at him, cupping his cheek. “But I hurt you...fuck me, I tortured you! I...I remember you screaming...”

“No,” Henrik snaps, coming over with a fierce look on his face. “It wasn’t you and don’t even try to say that it was. It was that asshole up there.”

They all look up at the golden being suspended above them, taunting Papa and the ghouls, who have all transformed into their demon forms and have begun to fight. “It’s got some sort of...force field!” Fire yells as the flaming energy balls he launches bounce off and sizzle off into the ceiling. “Shock it, Aether!” 

“Wait!” Earth roars, focusing all his will on trying to wrap his energy around the angel’s force field and weight it down. “Shock it now!” But as Aether sends bolts of crackling energy its way, the angel rears back and claps its wings together, making Earth lose his grip and sending Aether’s blasts off in all directions. The angel follows that up with another thunderous clap of its wings, and the shock wave slams into Water, sending him spinning into the farthest wall with a sickening crunch before he can stop himself. Earth gasps and rushes over to the ghoul crumpled on the floor, healing energy already surrounding his hands, and suddenly Special is there to help him. Between the two ghouls, Water’s back up again quickly.

“Water!” Fire calls out, but his friend is next to him quickly, shooting him a grin as Papa tries to break through the force field with a blast of his own energy, in vain. 

“Nice try, Emeritus, but you’re not strong enough to break me!” the angel roars. 

“Maybe not alone,” Papa grunts as Aether, Water and Fire flank him, “but sadly for you, I am never alone.” The four of them send their energy blasts into the force field at the same time, and the angel roars again.

Tim and John skid to a stop next to Henrik and Earth, who’d come over after helping Water. “I don’t know what the fuck is happening,” John says, voice gruff, “but, my King, I’m thinking those Satanic dudes could use some aerial support. We can chat later.”

Jonas stands, looking at the being staring down at them as if they were nothing. “And aerial support they will get. My friends...” And Jonas grins, nearly as wide as Johannes’s own. “It has been a while since I was a dragon, has it not?” 

Papa looks back, blinking and briefly obscuring the starlight from his left eye, as the men from Avatar Country all suddenly roar at once, and then scatter. The half-demon’s eyes widen as he sees Jonas, there one second, and the next an enormous black dragon is in his place. Golden scales glitter amongst the obsidian, talons the size of swords crunch into the stone floor, a tail as long as a bus nearly whips the hall doors off their hinges. Wings, black as night and huge, with golden spikes on the tips, unfurl from his back. The being near the throne looks nervous in spite of itself when, with one swipe, the dragon king breaks the force field in front of him. “GOOOOOOO!” The dragon roars, and the battle cries are deafening as everyone leaps into the fray.

You are screaming in fear at the sound of dragon roar, and as the doors to the hall buckle and the stone walls begin to crack and crumble, Air picks you up and blinks the both of you outside. “No, no, we can’t leave them, we can’t, take me back!!” you yell as you smack Air about his chest and shoulders. 

“No fucking way, my goddess,” Air snaps as he sets you down on the grass and falls next to you on his knees. “Papa and Johannes would take turns killing me if something happened to you...if they could get to me before I’d kill myself.” He wraps you up in his arms as you sob hysterically.

“But what if they’re hurt? What was happening in there? Holy fuck, Air, what the hell is happening??” You clutch the front of his uniform as you quickly go to pieces.

Air holds you tightly. “Little one, you need to breathe, okay?” He cups your face and makes you look at him, breathing slow and deep, and your breaths slowly align with his. “They are going to be fine. Papa is a half demon, and the children of humans and demons are normally very strong--and Papa is the strongest half demon I’ve ever met. And the king is a dragon. Johannes is scarily strong on his own, and there’s the rest of the ghouls and the king’s men, against one being. They will be—” He’s cut off as the roof over the great hall suddenly bursts open, and all the combatants come flying out.

“Fucking goddamn shit,” Air says through clenched teeth as your screams start up again. 

“Go help them, go help them!” you shout as you start to crawl toward the castle. Air curses as he grabs you around the waist, hauls you up, and carries you farther away from the castle.

“I am not helping them!” Air yells as he runs toward the forest nearby with you. “I am keeping you safe! Your ankle is fucking broken, you stubborn little thing!” 

The dragon bursts out of the ceiling as well, breathing fire at the angel, who is looking injured already. But none of them are letting it get away. As you watch from the safety of the treeline, Papa appears behind it, shadowy wings in full view, slamming the back of the angel’s head with a massively powerful downward punch. It goes flying at Fire, who lets an explosion out of his hands and sends it to Johannes in raven form.

The massive raven digs its claws into the angel’s shoulders and jams its sharp beak into one of the being’s eyes, using its massive wings to beat off the angel’s hands as it tries to grab at the bird.

A giant pure white owl suddenly attacks from behind, and transforms into an equally white tiger as it attaches itself to the angel’s back. It bites down hard on the back of its neck, growling at the being’s roar of pain.

The being reaches behind itself, trying to grab at the tiger. It spins around one way, then the other, and finally manages to dislodge the giant cat, which shifts back to an owl before it falls too far.

“Even for me, this is too much,” the angel gasps. One of its eyes is ruined, the back of its neck is torn open, and it’s bleeding from dozens of small wounds. It turns to flee, but it only gets about fifty feet before enormous jaws snap down on its torso. The being howls in pain, golden blood spilling from its mouth, but its howl is cut short as the dragon king snaps the rest of it into his maw. He chews, making a face at the taste, and swallows, before landing on the roof of the building and transforming back. He sits down heavily, and heaves a deep breath, and then laughs as Tim, John, and Henrik all tackle him in hugs.

Air carries you out of the treeline, and one by one, the ghouls blink in to you. Fire and Water are first, Fire taking you from Air’s arms and spinning you around while saying, “Thank Satan, thank Satan, thank Satan!” Water waits until Fire stops spinning, then he kisses you soundly, too overwhelmed to say anything. As Fire sinks down to the ground, still holding you, Aether swoops in, taking your hands in his, kissing the palms. “My darling girl, can you forgive me?” 

The three ghouls are overwhelming you with kisses and words; when you have a second to breathe, you see Earth standing there, looking...kind of angry, actually. You beckon to him to come to you, and you extend your hand. “I am so sorry, Earth. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Can you forgive me?” 

He stares at you for a long time, then relents, and takes your hand, pressing it to his cheek. Then he comes closer to you and whispers in your ear, “How about...well. How about you get a spanking and we call it...even?” 

A chorus of “Whoa, go get it, Earth!” rises up around you, and you blush. “Sounds like a plan,” you whisper back, and the ghouls’ shouts get louder as Earth beams and wraps his arms around you tightly.

Jonas smiles, watching this from above. “They’re a rowdy bunch. But they’re good men.” He looks over at Johannes, who’s watching you and Papa. “You haven’t greeted her yet. And don’t think I haven’t seen the way you look at Emeritus too.” The king’s smile turns sad. “I’m glad you’re happy, my friend...” He stands, walking to the taller man and pulling him down for a hug, arms tight around him, and if he was trembling a little he didn’t remark on it. “I’ll miss you,” he whispers, “And I am so sorry.” 

Papa had hung back, letting the ghouls have their turn with you. But he overhears this conversation, and his eyes shut. He hates that Johannes has to choose. His eyes open as a sudden idea starts to take shape in his mind, and his lips curl in a smirk.

Johannes wraps his arms around Jonas, choking back a sob. “I think...I think I’m afraid to go to her. What if she doesn’t... what if she hates me for not protecting her? I promised...and I failed.”

Jonas chuckles, rubbing the spot behind Johannes’s ear that he knows relaxes him. “Do you really think that she’s going to blame you for her being kidnapped? She blames herself, and you know it.” He kisses the side of Johannes’s head before gently pulling away. “She might be upset if you don’t go to her soon though.”

Johannes closes his eyes, leans in to his king’s touch. “I know...but there’s so much to say...” He opens his eyes. “I don’t want you to think I don’t want to be here with you...but...I love her...and him. I didn’t know I could feel this way about anyone...but....”

The king shakes his head. “I knew it, my friend. You are too good a man to be alone all your life. And you have too much love in your heart—and your pants,” he adds with a grin, “to just have one person to share it with. You take all the time you need. We’ll be here.”

“Actually,” Papa says, looking friendly and a little pleased with himself as he comes over, “I’ve thought of a wonderful idea. While repairs are being made on the castle, why don’t you and your inner circle come and stay at the church? It would give you all time to reconnect, and we can actually open talks about an alliance. For real this time.” 

Jonas blinks. “Wait, there was going to be an alliance?” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Just how long was I gone?”

“A long time, my friend,” Henrik says. “A very long time, actually.” 

“That’s an incredibly generous offer, Emeritus,” Jonas says, “but I don’t know if I should be away from Avatar Country right after...all this....” He waves his hand around at the rubble. 

“Well, if I may be so bold,” John says with a half smile, “you CAN fly here whenever you need...”

“I think we need time together...to repair us,” Henrik said. “And, to be honest, I am not quite ready to say goodbye to that girl just yet...” 

Johannes turns to Henrik. “Thank you for taking care of her. I was...the thought ... thank you.” He hugs Henrik, John, and Tim in turn.

Tim’s eyes widen suddenly. “Uh, so, in all these reunions I sort of forgot—she’s injured.” 

Everyone stares at him, then Papa yells, “WHAT?!” and he’s off the roof and running toward you in a second.

Johannes slaps Tim on the back of the head, only half playfully, as they all jump off the roof and follow Papa. “What the fuck, dude? Why didn’t you tell us sooner??” 

“Umm, did you not notice the castle-destroying battle we just got through? A little preoccupied.” He smacks Johannes upside his head in return.

Henrik, in the back of the group, smiles faintly as he sees this. It’s like Johannes was never gone in the first place. Then worry for you takes over as they all run to where the ghouls have you in a literal cuddle puddle. Papa gets there first, and he skids to a halt and drops to his knees. “Tim said you were injured! What happened?! Are you all right?!” 

You smile and cup his cheek. “Papa, it’s only a broken ankle when that...thing dropped me. I’m fine.”

“Only a... Satan deliver me,” Papa mutters as he looks you over, taking note of the bruises on your throat. “Would that I could bring that angel back so I could kill it again.” He looks around. “Where is Special?” 

The ghoul blinks in, much to the wide-eyed disbelief of Jonas, Tim, John, and Henrik. “My apologies, I was...conferring with the Divine Discord. They were very interested in the angelic presence here...what do you need, Papa?”

Papa nods to him. “Our goddess’s ankle is broken at the very least--could you take care of it? And also, please let the Clergy know that we’ll be having guests. The King and his inner circle are going to be staying with us until their castle is repaired.” Papa looks to Jonas. “I assume that we may use your private plane to go back?” 

The king is still staring at Special, but replies to Papa. “Yes, of course. How did he do that?”

“It’s a skill,” Special says with a wink at the king. “Should we take care of that ankle first?” he asks, kneeling next to you.

You blink to him. “I didn’t know you could heal, Special.” 

The ghoul grins as he gently slips off your shoe. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, little ghuleh.” You blush darkly, still not really over your shell shock at meeting him. But your momentary bout of nerves is interrupted as pain shoots up your leg when he touches your ankle. You cry out, turning and burying your face into Earth’s chest. “I’m sorry, but I have to see how badly it’s broken.”

“It’s ok,” you gasp, “do what you need to.” You squeeze your eyes shut, but then there’s a familiar touch, a large hand cupping the back of your head, and the pain in your leg is forgotten as you turn your head. “My wolf?”

“Sweetness.” You try to spin toward him but Earth grips you tightly and Johannes presses on your head a bit. “Don’t move just yet, sweetness, not while they’re working on your ankle.” He leans in and presses a kiss to your head. “Christ, it is so good to feel you again,” he murmurs. “I was losing my fucking mind without you.”

“Johannes, Johannes, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have run, and I was such a bitch, I don’t understand how you could still want me after that, I’m so sorry,” you cry, leaning back into his touch. Your hands go up, trying to touch as much of him as possible, tears streaming down your face. 

Special checks over your ankle, wincing. “This is going to take more than one healing session, I’m afraid. She was thrown from such a height that her ankle shattered on impact. And it feels like her knee is slightly out of place as well...Johannes, Earth, hold her hands. I’m going to reset it, and it’s going to hurt. Brace yourself, my dear.”

Earth and Johannes nod once at each other. Earth wraps his arms tight around your waist as Johannes grabs your hands, crosses them over your chest, and holds you tightly, his lips at your ear. “Remember our second night together? And I told you I would never be done with you?” You nod quickly. “It’s still true, sweetness.” Special begins his task, and your scream pierces the air.

Air leans over and wraps his arms around your hips to keep you in place, and Fire hangs on to your free leg so you don’t kick Special. All the men wince at your scream, the feeling of you in pain nearly physically painful to them. Tears stream down your face and sweat pops out on your skin. You gasp for air as your leg throbs once, twice, then the pain ebbs thanks to Special’s powers and you sigh in relief.

You relax into all the embraces surrounding you, and Special examines his work. “Everything is reset, little ghuleh. I’ll start knitting the bones back together later, preferably someplace more comfortable than the middle of the castle yard here. In the meantime,” he snaps his fingers, and a neat splint appears around your ankle and lower leg, “go ahead and give that wolf of yours a proper hello.” He winks.

You blush faintly, but you smile happily to him. You carefully sit up, turning to Johannes. Your hands lift, cupping his face, sighing as he leans into your touch and closes his eyes. You shudder and lean forward, crashing your lips against his, arms wrapping around his neck tightly. You never want to leave his embrace again.

He snugs you closer to his body as he deepens the kiss, and something inside you that you hadn’t even realized had been tensed up loosens for the first time since you jumped off the back of the tour bus. You melt into him. Vaguely in the background you hear wolf howls and ghoul cheers.

You don’t know how long you kiss; all you know is you make a noise of protest when he gently pulls away. “Don’t stop,” you whisper, trying to kiss him again. But he just smiles and gently turns you, and then Papa’s there. 

He smiles softly to you, whispers, “My love...I am so sorry you heard that back on the bus. If I hadn’t—” But you cut him off with as deep a kiss as you gave Johannes, and the ghouls and wolves cheer again.

After what seems like hours, you and Papa finally come up for air, and he caresses your cheek. “Let’s get you someplace comfortable and get ready to go back to the church.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which all are joined--and healed--by the sting of reunion...

In no time, you are in the king’s living quarters, leg propped up, and ghouls doting on you left and right. The inner circle bustles about, gathering belongings, packing, and issuing orders and instructions for repairs, which are already getting started.  


Jonas sits next to you and takes your hand, brushing his lips against your knuckles. “A thank you will never be enough for what you’ve done for us. Anything you wish that’s in my power, just ask.”  


You smile to him and lean your head on his shoulder, watching the bustle about the room. “All I want is for you all to be happy. You deserve it.” You pause, and then ask shyly, “And maybe one or two dresses because they are beautiful.”  


Jonas laughs and kisses your forehead. “My little flower, you will have a dozen dresses and jewels to match!” You balk at that, but he kisses you to keep you quiet. “And of course,” Jonas says in between kisses, “I owe you some real lovemaking ... you have no idea how terrible I feel about our...encounter earlier.”  


“You shouldn’t,” you say with a smile. “Freeing you was far more important.”  


Papa is watching this exchange when Special appears at his side. “The Clergy is aware of our pending guests, and have also asked me to inform you that the tour will resume in ten days’ time. A little...honeymoon, so to speak.”  


Papa smiles. “How generous of them.” He studies Special closely. “What is wrong? You haven’t been yourself since you spoke to Satan. Tell me.”  


Special sighs. “Defeating that angel did not erase the threat. There are more where that one came from.”  


Papa frowns. “More...do you know how many ‘more’ entails?”  


Special gives Papa a wry smile. “You know how dramatic the Divine Discord likes to be. Could be anywhere from one to a thousand. But they did mention that they are a rogue band of angels, defying God’s orders not to meddle in human affairs. Apparently some angels were getting sick of watching our ministry grow here on Earth.” He pauses, watching as Earth comes up next to you and snuggles into your side—Jonas smiles and ruffles his hair. “This entire debacle with Avatar Country was solely to get to us, Papa.”  


Papa grunts as he turns his gaze on you. “And the only reason they did not succeed is sitting over there, oblivious to how amazing she is.” He shrugs. “We will need to be watchful.”  


“That is not enough!” Special hisses and grabs Papa by the shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eyes. “Do not dismiss this, Papa! These angels aren’t fucking around. That angel didn’t just possess the king a couple months ago--it was in him for YEARS. This plot was decades in the making. We can only assume they have other schemes already in place, plans we can’t predict. They could come after one of us directly...they may very likely go after her...even you.” Special shakes Papa a little. “Hear me, brother...I am very concerned. Don’t shrug this off.”  


Papa looks at the ghoul, concern flitting over the dark pope’s face. “I have never seen you this shaken before.” He nods. “Very well. When we get back to the church, please, advise me on what you think we should do. But in the meanwhile...” He looks to everyone, watching as they take a break from packing. Henrik is talking to Johannes, standing close to the taller man, and the bodyguard looks years younger talking to his friend. Tim and John are sitting with Jonas, you, and Earth—Tim is idly rubbing your good foot, making you mewl and relax more into the king’s side. Jonas is talking with his two men, visibly pleased to be able to do so under his own will. The rest of the ghouls are making sure you are comfortable—Aether is feeding you grapes he got somewhere. “...these people have been through a lot. More than what’s fair. They need at least a few days to just...heal. To just be. We can plan after that.”  


For a moment Special looks like he’s going to protest, insist that they start plotting and planning that instant, but he looks at you, and relents. “You’re right, of course. I have to finish healing her ankle. And given the ocean waves of pheromones flooding this room, we’re all going to end up needing to have sex 24/7 for the next week just to take the edge off.” He chuckles but sobers quickly. “But we cannot put this off too long, Papa.”  


“I know, Special. I know. Just...two days is all I ask.” He claps the other man on the shoulder.  


Henrik studies Johannes, frowning faintly. “Our goddess said something that we still haven’t figured out. She said that you used to have scars. What happened to them?”  


The question stops Johannes in his tracks. He forgets sometimes that they are gone. “My dude. You aren’t going to believe it unless I show you.” And he quickly strips his jacket and shirt off, turns around so Henrik can see.  


Henrik’s sharp inhale and curse are loud enough to get everyone’s attention. “How? Those scars were ... how did you get rid of them?” Tim, John, and Jonas are on their feet in an instant, crowding around Johannes, examining the smooth expanse of his back.  


You blush, sitting on the couch, saying nothing. Jonas runs a soft hand down his assassin’s back. “...This is impossible...”  


“Not for a conduit, apparently,” Air murmurs as he walks by with a glass of water for you.  


Jonas stares at the ghoul, then looks to you, and you look away, wishing you could hide. “She did this? How?”  


Aether clears his throat. “Well...we’re not totally sure...but the energy that she creates during sex is incredibly powerful. I think it may have been a kind of manifestation of her will powered by the sex energy.” You can feel everyone’s stares on you, and your blush deepens.  


“She can make what she wants to happen, happen, using sex.” Jonas stares at you. “It’s a good thing you’re a wonderful woman, my little flower, or else you would be very dangerous.”  


You swallow, shrugging. “I don’t want anything more than what I already have. I just want you all to be happy. A-And sometimes I—”  


“Drain yourself in order to make that happen,” Earth says, frowning faintly.  


“She does what?” Henrik and Jonas speak in unison, while John and Tim frown.  


“She does have a tendency to endanger herself when she’s busy trying to save everyone else,” Papa says as he fixes you with a look that is equal parts stern and lust-filled.  


You look around the room, filled with incredibly beautiful men who are all looking at you much the same way Papa is, and you gulp. The reality of all of them focusing their concern and desire on you at one time is intense, and a shiver runs down your spine as your core clenches. “It’s ... just ... part of my charm, I guess,” you say faintly as you try to ignore the desire tugging at you.  


All the men from Avatar Country’s nostrils flare, and at once they let out a low growl as they can smell your sudden arousal. “Fucking hell,” Jonas says, taking a step toward you. “How do any of you leave her alone when she feels like this?” He inhales deeply, and his words are a low, dangerous growl. “She smells so good...”  


Papa smirks, and his chuckle is the most sinful sound you’ve ever heard. “As I have said before, it is a trial to let her rest. But, unfortunately, rest she must. My friends, we must wait until her ankle is healed before we can ravish her.”  


The reminder of your injury brings them up short, but then Johannes grins. “You really think that I’m going to wait to taste her again? She doesn’t have to do a fucking thing—just lie back, spread her legs, and let me tongue fuck her until she passes out from coming too hard.”  


His words make your breath catch, your core clenches again, and you suddenly remember you’re not wearing underwear...and you squirm as your juices begin to slide out of you.  


Groans and growls echo around the room. “You know, Johannes has a point,” Fire says with a plea in his voice. “And we’ve missed her so much...”  


Earth is already nuzzling your neck when he says, “I’ll make sure no one accidentally hits her ankle.” He looks up at the dark pope. “Please, Papa, we need her...and she needs us....”  


Papa hesitates, but then nods. “I can’t say no when she’s blushing like that...just remember to let others have turns, my wolf,” he says, amused. In an instant Earth is getting your dress off you. He knows you’d rather keep it, and Johannes is likely to rip it off.  


As your body is slowly revealed, the tension in the room begins to ramp up, and your breathing quickens. “Now, Papa, you know I would never keep her to myself....sharing is caring, after all,” Johannes says with a chuckle as he moves to you, and kneels on the floor before you. “Sweetness, can you do me a favor?” You nod, shivering as he runs his hands up your thighs. God, how you’ve missed him! “Can you tell everyone what fantasy of yours we’re all about to help you live out?”  


You blush hard and fast. “Oh I don’t...no...you remember that?”  


“Sweetness, I remember everything you say. Go ahead,” he says as he nibbles on your inner thigh, “tell us.”  


You squeeze your eyes shut tight. “I...I’ve always wanted...to be tied down...forced to come...over and over....til I beg them to stop...but they don’t stop....”  


There is a pause as all the men in the room stare at you, and then before you can blink Jonas is holding one of your arms down, Henrik the other, and Special has your good leg. You gasp, eyes wide as you’re pulled almost taut, and the rest of them growl to see you held down like this.  


Papa steps over, leaning down as he pulls off his glove with his teeth, and spreads your lower lips wide open. “It feels like forever since we’ve seen that beautiful cunt of yours, my goddess... You’ve missed us here, haven’t you?” You are too beyond words to answer him, and Papa frowns at you and suddenly slaps your clit. You scream. “You will answer me, my pet.”  


“Yes!” you cry out, hips bucking at the decadent pain. “Y-Yes, I missed you claiming my pussy over and over!”  


Johannes shoots a quick glance at Earth, making sure he is protecting your injured leg, then he lets loose the biggest, wickedest, wildest grin you’ve ever seen cross his face. “Papa, that’s one of the things I love about you ... you give me such wonderful ideas ...”  


“Oh really, my wolf? And which one do you have now?” Papa smiles indulgently ... he does love to watch him play.  


“Well, someone we know has been very. Very. Naughty. Being bratty. Running away. Taking on an angel. Very naughty indeed. So naughty, in fact, that a regular spanking just doesn’t seem punishment enough.” He licks his lips as he captures your gaze and laughs his wild laugh. “A clit spanking, however, seems like a much better option.”  


“And I happen to have the perfect toy for that,” Special pipes up. He twirls his hand and suddenly he’s holding a riding crop. The flat leather at the top is just slightly padded so that it won’t do damage, but it looks like it will more than get the job done. The demon winks to you as he hands it to the wolf, and you give him a look of betrayal.  


“H-Hey now, w-what happened to me s-saving the day?!” you protest, paling and squirming. Jonas laughs low in your ear, enjoying your struggles against his and Henrik’s hold.  


“Punishment before accolades, I always say,” Jonas murmurs before he licks the shell of your ear.  


Johannes nods. “Yes, yes, you must take your licks before we give you our licks, sweetness.” He laughs wildly again as he twirls the crop, and you suddenly notice the vague outlines of his makeup appear around his eyes and mouth. “Anyone have a number they like best?”  


“How about eleven?” Air says from Special’s left.  


You give him the same look of betrayal you gave the full demon, sweating already. “L-love, p-please, I-I’m sorry, go easy on me, please!”  


“I would, precious, but they didn’t see you trying to crawl back into the castle when I was trying to keep you safe earlier,” Air says. When Johannes and Papa both look at him, he nods, and you curse.  


“Tattle-tale,” you say through clenched teeth. Papa and Johannes turn their gaze back to you, and you know you’re in trouble now. “I was worried for you, all of you!”  


“A round dozen it is then,” Johannes says. “Don’t forget the rules, sweetness. Count them out...and don’t miss, or it’s back to the beginning...”  


You tremble in Jonas’s and Henrik’s grips, and you turn to the softer of the Avatar men. “H-Henrik, please, tell them I don’t deserve this!”  


Henrik smiles, leaning in and nuzzling the spot behind your ear. “I would in a heartbeat, my love, except...”  


“E-Except?” you whisper.  


“Except I know you want this. You’re dripping onto Johannes’s knees already,” he growls into your ear. You’re so shocked by his words that you don’t see Johannes move, and the swat he lays over your clit has you howling and decidedly not counting.  


“Tsk, tsk. How soon we forget the rules,” Johannes says, shaking his head in mock sorrow. “Let’s try that again, shall we?” He lays another swat across your clit.  


“One!”  


“Good girl,” Papa praises, kneeling down near Henrik’s legs and leaning forward, taking a nipple into his mouth. Fire comes over and eagerly does the same in front of Jonas.  


Johannes keeps that wild grin on his face as he lays down the second hit. “Two!” you squeal, hips bucking hard.  


The third and fourth smacks come quick, one right after the other, and you manage to count them through your wails. Water and John lean over the back of the couch at your head, stroking your hair, and Water says, “That’s right, beautiful, don’t hold back, give us all your screams, we’ll drink them down, show the king and his wolves what we ghouls already know, show them how amazing you are.” You count the fifth swat with a loud cry and both Water and John praise you.  


Johannes leans in close to you and inhales deep, exhaling on a growl. “I missed that scent, sweetness. Are you going to take that away from me again?”  


You shake your head frantically. “No, no, my wolf, never again.”  


“Damn straight.” _Smack_.  


“Six!”  


“Are you going to take that away from your Papa again?”  


“No, never again!”  


“Are you going to take that away from your ghouls again?”  


You squirm and pull but everyone has a firm grip on you. “No, Johannes, never again!”  


“Will you take it away from the king and these new wolves?”  


“No!” you wail.  


“Damn. Fucking. Straight.” _SMACK_.  


“SEVENsevensevenseven,” you babble, and your hips jerk so hard away from Johannes that Special and Earth nearly go sprawling. But they recover and hold you firm, and you sob as your muscles twitch and shudder.  


Papa groans at your breast, lapping soothingly at your nipple. “You are doing so well, my ghuleh, my goddess. I missed seeing what your body can take...we must show your new loves what you are capable of, mustn’t we?”  


“Y-Yes, Papa, y-yes, I will t-take whatever y-you give me!” You gasp, voice shaky as you tremble hard.  


“We’ll see about that,” Johannes says with a hint of menace in his voice. “After all, there are still five more to go....and if you miss...” The noise he makes actually makes you wetter...you can feel it. He sees it and grins. “Would anyone like to give this naughty, sloppy thing a smack or two?”  


There is immediately a line of ghouls and wolves. Jonas, Henrik, Papa, and Earth all stay where they are, but Fire and Special move to the line. Air comes over and takes your leg in place of Special. Johannes stands and offers the crop to the first in line, who happens to be John. The spy grins and takes it, coming over and kneeling before you. “Look at you...I’ve never seen something more beautiful...” He moves the flat leather of the crop over your clit and folds, watching how you drip onto the floor, before smirking and slapping your clit.  


“EIGHT! FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK!” you scream, and the men are having a tougher time holding on to you. You are covered in sweat, your groin covered in yourself, and tears pour down your face. John groans, shuddering as he takes in your state, before handing the flogger to the next man.  


Special nods politely as he takes the crop, but he says nothing as he kneels before you...just examines you closely, using the crop to trace the path of his heated gaze. His silence unnerves you as much as the anticipation of the next strike. You try desperately not to say anything, but your mouth opens seemingly of its own accord. “Please, god please, do something, anything,” you say on a sob.  


Special looks up to you, and he smiles unnervingly. “My little ghuleh...I’ll thank you to remember that there is no God here.” And he hits your clit straight on. You roar, shattering in an orgasm as the word nine tumbles from your lips over and over, mind gone, every muscle in your body taut.  


All the men let out various moans and grunts of approval as the scent of your orgasm permeates the air. Johannes palms his cock through his pants as he watches you writhe. “That was impressive, Special. I feel like I should applaud or salute or something,” he says.  


Special stands and makes a show of looking Johannes up and down, giving him the same unnerving smile he’d given you. “Tell you what....hold on to that idea until after I’ve had you where I want you.” He licks his lips, then says “Next?” as he stares at Johannes.  


Papa laughs against your breast as Johannes looks decidedly nervous and takes a step away from Special. “Look out, my wolf, it seems he’s taken a liking to you.”  


Tim steps up and takes the crop, kneeling down. He groans as he leans forward, pillowing his head on your thigh. “I could drown in you and die happy,” he murmurs, using the end of the crop to rub soothingly over your folds. You gasp, tears still falling down your cheeks, and he brings it down with a crack right over your entrance. You cry out the word ten, and Tim growls as some of your moisture gets sprayed onto his face.  


Tim swipes his fingers through the mess on his skin, then sucks on his fingers, cleaning them off slowly to savor your flavor. “I don’t know how any of you get anything accomplished. I can’t get enough of her,” he says as he turns the crop over to Fire.  


Fire grins, clapping him on the back. “Welcome to the club.” He drops to his knees before you, taking in your trembling, sweaty, sloppy form, and groans loudly. “Fuck, you are delicious. I gotta hurry this up or else I’m just going to eat you the rest of the night.” And he slaps the crop just to the side of your clit. You whimper out eleven, muscles shuddering uncontrollably.  


Papa grins against your nipple as he says, “What was that, my dear? Couldn’t quite hear it?”  


“ELEVEN!” you scream, terrified of starting back over.  


Papa laughs. “That’s what I thought you said.”  


Fire chuckles as he stands and looks about. “Anyone else?”  


Johannes, still slightly unsettled by Special’s attention, clears his throat. “Can I offer anyone the honor of the final strike? Papa? Aether? Henrik? My king?”  


Jonas stands, coming over to Fire and taking the crop. He glances at it, then hands it back to Special. “I prefer my hand, thanks.” Special nods and flicks his wrist, and the toy is gone. There’s an unspoken relief in the king’s eyes when the toy is gone, but he says nothing as he kneels before you. His eyes roam your entire form, from your clenched toes, your taut calves, your quivering thighs, your stomach heaving with every breath, your breasts getting lovingly attended by Papa, your pulse point in your throat, your parted lips... “You are exquisite, my little flower,” he whispers. His hands run soothingly up your thighs, making the muscles quiver all the harder. “Last one. Are you ready?”  


You nod, gasping for breath, “Please, please!” is all you can say. Jonas smiles, and then his hand comes down with a crack onto your pussy. You scream, hips writhing in the air, and your voice trails off into broken sobs of “Twelve, twelve...”  


You are surrounded by caresses, kisses, and words of praise. “You took that so well ...look how beautiful she is...holy hell, that was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen...” You aren’t sure who is saying what, or doing what ... you’re nothing but sensation.  


Earth smiles, still holding your bad leg gently, and presses a soft kiss to your knee. Air strokes your good leg softly, watching you with intense eyes. Special’s gaze is trained on Johannes as the wolf kneels back between your legs.  


Johannes drops kisses along your inner thighs toward your pussy. “You are stunning, sweetness. So absolutely amazing. You took your punishment so very well. So now....” He runs his nose along your folds and then looks up at you. “Now it’s time for you to live your fantasy.” He looks to make sure Henrik and Jonas are holding your arms again, then says, “Ready to beg?” And his makeup stands stark and full against his pale skin.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which punishment gives way to pleasure...

You shudder at his nose touching your oversensitive flesh. The sight of him between your legs in nearly-full clown mode sends fresh arousal mixed with fear to your core. “J-Johannes, you...are you still there?”

“It’s still me, sweetness,” he growls softly, all but nuzzling against your folds. “I’m just so happy to have you back under me that the other energy is bleeding through a little.” 

You nod, swallowing hard. “O-Okay. J-Just...just give me a second, please, t-that was intense,” you ask desperately. 

The grin that splits your wolf’s face is absolutely evil. “Okay. One.” And then his tongue is lapping through your folds and fluttering against your swollen clit. You scream, jerking in the hold the men have on you, trying to move your hips away.

Johannes spreads both his large hands on your hips, holding them down as he swirls his tongue around your clit before moving to the bottom of your entrance and swiping back up to your clit with the flat of his tongue. “Ahhh, I missed this so much...” he moans.

A noise, garbled and broken, slips out of your throat before you can stop it. The feel of his soft tongue after the hard crop is indescribable. Jonas and Henrik groan, and the bassist rolls his hips, desperate for friction.

“Do what you need to,” Johannes says in between licks as he slides one finger inside you and twists it.

You keen wordlessly, hips rolling as much as possible against his hands. Henrik undoes his pants and slips his cock into your hand, groaning as he wraps your fingers around it and rolls his hips.

You stroke Henrik slowly, reveling in the smooth heat of his cock against your skin, trying to think past Johannes’s tongue swiping through your folds as his finger twists inside you, seeking that one particular spot, trying not to fall apart...

Jonas groans as he watches and his hands too go to his belt. Soon enough your hand is wrapped around his own cock, and he growls at the feeling, pumping against your skin. Johannes catches your eyes, and he grins, and then his tongue is wiggling like it does on stage, and his finger finds that spot and presses, and you promptly explode. Your screams echo through the room as your hands leave Jonas’s and Henrik’s cocks to flail wildly. The ghouls all cry out at feeling you come, and the two men at your head pump themselves hard and paint your breasts with their seed.

Johannes lifts his head up just long enough to snarl, “Someone grab her hands, she’s moving too much.” As Jonas and Henrik take hold of your arms once more, Johannes returns his attention to your clit, sucking it through your orgasm, making you push your cunt into his face. He hums as he licks up some of your juices, sucking and licking until your orgasm subsides...but he can tell by the way you move and the sounds you’re making that you’re on the verge of another. He pulls his mouth away and rasps, “Papa says I have to take turns,” and his voice raises a little higher on the last two words, gently mocking, “so someone better get down here and start sucking because she’s gonna go again in a minute.”

Earth puts a hand on Johannes’s shoulder. “I’ll go.” Johannes grins and claps him on the back in pride, then the wolf takes over holding your bad leg as Earth settles to his meal. The little ghoul smiles to you and murmurs, “I guess...well. You had that spanking I mentioned, huh?” And without waiting for your answer he plunges three fingers into your pussy as his tongue swirls around your clit.

Papa lets go of your breast long enough to say, “Don’t let him get drunk on her, my wolf, you know how he gets. And it would be impolite to keep her new loves from...sampling...” He idly rubs Henrik’s and Jonas’s cum into your skin like lotion as he watches you fall apart. 

Jonas’s eyes widen. “Drunk? As in, literally?” 

Johannes chuckles. “Seems like it. At least Fire and my little dude here find it easy to...overindulge...”

Henrik looks to Jonas, then nods to John. “We can attest to it, at least a little. You have not had a proper taste of her yet...John and I have. We did not quite get...drunk, as Emeritus describes, but…” He shivers, softened cock twitching slightly. “Her taste is...” 

“Like nothing I’ve ever had before,” John says, licking his lips as he watches Earth work you. “It’s easy to get addicted to...”

Your wail as you come on Earth’s face interrupts them, and the Avatar men watch as the ghouls shudder with you again. Henrik groans. “Are you all coming with her?” 

Aether, who has been monitoring everyone’s energies so you don’t overload, gasps a little. “In a manner of speaking, yes. We can feel her coming through our connection to the elemental energies....and she’s tapping in to them so...”

Tim makes a noise in the back of his throat. “That sounds fucking intense...” 

“You have no idea,” Fire and Water mumble at the same time, shooting each other a grin. Earth, meanwhile, whimpers at the taste of your cum flooding his sense, and his arms wrap securely around your thighs. The tears he’s been holding in since seeing you again slip out and fall onto your skin, overwhelmed at having you on his tongue again. He shudders and laps at you eagerly, wanting to catch every drop.

You chant his name as he gathers as much of your cum into his mouth as he can, swallowing you in huge gulps as his tears drop onto you. When Johannes touches his shoulder and says, “Come up for air, little dude,” Earth does so, reluctantly, then he stands and leans over you, staring deep into your eyes. “Don’t. Just don’t. Not ever again.”

You stare back, chest heaving as you try to get your breathing under control. “I won’t,” you gasp. “Not ever again.”

He kisses you deeply, a seal on the promise.

You moan into his mouth, shuddering at the taste of yourself mixing with Earth’s unique flavor. Recognizing this as something more important than sex, Jonas and Henrik let you go for a moment, and your arms wrap around Earth’s neck to hold him close, letting him melt into you. By the time he pulls away, a string of saliva connecting your mouths still, he’s feeling much better, and he beams to you as the next man takes his place between your legs.

Earth motions to Johannes, and resumes his spot protecting your injured leg. Johannes moves up, behind Papa, and grabs both your arms. “All right then, no more of this getting loose, sweetness. I won’t let go ...even when you beg.” And his grin makes fresh sweat break out on your brow.

The tickle and scrape of Tim’s moustache as he buries his nose in your folds makes you jump and pull against everyone who is holding you down. You cry out, bucking hard against his face. You aren’t used to feeling facial hair down there—all the ghouls, Papa, and Johannes are clean-shaven. For the ghouls at least, it makes wearing the masks much more comfortable. But this sensation...you tremble and writhe against your lovers’ holds, but they hold you firm.

“Are you going to start begging already, sweetness?” Johannes whispers, almost sing-songs, in your ear. “It’s a little early .... so many orgasms yet to be had...” Tim uses the flat of his tongue to swipe you from back to front, covering as much of you as he can, and he moans when your taste hits him. “Papa and Henrik...Water and Aether....my king....oh, you think Tim’s mustache is driving you crazy, wait ‘til Jonas buries his face in your beautiful cunt.... John...Fire....Special... We won’t stop until you’re squirting, you know that...” He laughs darkly into your ear. “And even then we won’t stop!”

Tim growls loudly as he feels your core clench at Johannes’s words. Two fingers slide through your folds where his tongue isn’t, and suddenly he’s moving them as if playing a guitar, strumming a melody out on your folds. A garbled cry rips from your throat, and your hands grip onto Johannes’s arms, nails digging into his skin. 

Jonas is growling as well, mouth watering at the overwhelming scent of you. “Fuck...fuck she smells so fucking delicious...”

“She tastes as good as she smells,” Tim rasps as he flicks your clit with the tip of his tongue. “Better, even...fuck me...”

Jonas growls, “Let me help you make her come,” and he plumps your breast in both hands and takes the nipple into his mouth, his beard raking along your sensitive skin. He rolls the nipple with his tongue, then sucks, hard, just as Tim does the same with your clit...and your orgasm erupts, making you cry out their names as Johannes’s wild laugh echoes through the room.

His laugh seems to spur your orgasm on, and it feels like an eternity later that it finally ebbs. You gasp for breath, feeling your pulse beat in your clit as Tim pulls away. His moustache is drenched in you, and his tongue eagerly laps up as much of you on his face as he can reach. 

Papa laughs, leaning down and kissing you, plundering your mouth with his tongue. “You are magnificent,” he moans into your mouth. You whimper, wanting to slide your fingers through his hair, but Johannes keeps a firm hold on your arms.

Jonas is still suckling your nipple, Air and Earth are stroking and kissing your thighs as they hold your legs, and your clit is throbbing as Fire and Water insist that Henrik or John or Jonas try you next ... “It’s only fair,” Fire says, “we’ve had more time...we can wait...besides, the longer we wait, the sloppier she’ll be and goddamn, that’s hot.” 

“I ... I don’t think I’m going to survive this,” you whisper so Papa and Johannes can hear you as John moves between your legs. “Oh god, I really don’t think...” Your words trail off into a moan as John begins to work your clit.

John groans profanities and praises into your cunt as your taste assaults his senses. You wail as he presses the flat of his tongue against your clit tightly, and then the slick muscle rolls against your flesh, engulfing your clit in exquisite pleasure. Three fingers slip inside you, pumping slowly and scissoring to give you that extra stimulation. Air groans as he feels your muscles tremble under his hands. He looks at Earth, who’s kissing around your ankle. He smiles at the smaller ghoul, then looks back at the beautiful expression on your face.

You start to come, your hips bucking tightly against John’s face, and you open your mouth to scream but all that comes out is breathy gasps. Air groans loudly, watching you and feeling you come at the same time. “You know, I don’t think I can wait like I usually do,” Air says to Papa. “I need to taste her like I need to breathe.”

Papa smiles to Air and motions for him to take John’s place. You just try to breathe as you come down from your latest high. You’ve lost count, at this point, of how many times you’ve come, and you aren’t sure of how many more you can take. But you also don’t want to give in just yet, and so you clamp down the words rising up in your throat.

John wipes his chin and licks his lips when he pulls away, and looks at Air. “I’ll hold her leg,” John says as he and Air switch. He holds your leg out wide, giving Air plenty of room to settle in. Air doesn’t hesitate, just spreads your folds open as far as he can and shoves his tongue inside you as far as it can go.

You shriek, feeling the tip of his tongue sliding along your walls, and the men are hard-pressed to keep a hold on you. Jonas laughs, giving Johannes a grin as the assassin grunts a little. “She’s stronger than she looks!” Air makes a sound in his throat that’s part growl and part moan, and you shudder at the vibrations it gives his tongue. You clench around the questing muscle, grinding against the ghoul’s mouth.

Air plunges his tongue in and out of you, setting a rough, quick pace, and uses his fingers to squeeze your clit. Papa and Jonas each take a nipple in their mouths, one sucking, the other licking, and Johannes leans in and whispers in your ear, “Come on Air’s tongue, sweetness, come all over his tongue, do it now.”

Your voice gives out as you come, squeezing Air’s tongue hard as you arch into the mouths at your breasts. You’re pretty sure you don’t breathe for the duration of your orgasm, and as Air pulls away, you draw in a gasping breath and begin to whisper, “No more, no more, p-please no more...” Your body is covered in sweat, every muscle is shuddering beyond your control—and you feel incredible.

Air groans, moving away and plunking on his ass as he savors you on his lips. “Incredible...”

Your hips are bucking into the air, you can’t stop them at this point, and tears are streaming down your cheeks. “I can’t, no more, please...” you whisper as Henrik kneels between your legs and spreads your lower lips open. 

“So wet,” he mutters as he locks his lips on your clit and sucks. 

“No, no, no, no more,” you say, louder, as your bucking hips push into Henrik’s mouth.

Papa laughs, low and dark, fingers twisting your nipple as Jonas keeps sucking the other. “You beg beautifully, my ghuleh...” 

John groans. “She really does...I knew she would...” Jonas growls against your breast, enjoying the taste of your skin mixed with his own seed. He can’t wait for his turn.

You feel like you’re constantly coming at this point, there’s no break, and Henrik’s tongue is now swirling around your clit, flicking it from side to side. “I can’t do this, it’s too much, please don’t make me come again, please.” You know you’re babbling but you can’t stop yourself, any more than you can keep from pressing your cunt into Henrik’s face.

Jonas laughs into your breast. “Oh, you will keep coming, my delicious flower. We’re not nearly done with you yet...” 

You whimper, trying so hard to move away from the men holding you. Earth and John hold you down tighter. “No, no, no,” John said with a smirk. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Johannes is murmuring in your ear again. “You’re going to come and come and come .... you aren’t even close to done yet... you still have to come for my king, sweetness, he’s never tasted you before. Special wants to eat you, I know he’s hungry.” He nuzzles your neck, then bites it hard, then says, “Your lips say no more, but that cunt of yours isn’t stopping...we won’t let it...”

Before you can react to that masterful dirty talk, there’s a knock on the door. Everyone’s head whips to the sound, and Johannes’s lips peel back in a snarl, and then Jonas is up and sprinting for the door. He takes a second to compose himself, making sure his pants are done up properly, before opening the door. “What is it?”

A maid curtsies to the king, completely oblivious to the orgy currently happening inside. “My lord, you requested to know when the plane was ready. It can take off at any time.” 

“Excellent, thank you very much.” And he shuts and locks the door. He turns back to the others, lips twitching, trying so hard not to laugh.

The men all look at each other, and they can’t help it, they start to laugh. You try to take advantage of the levity and squirm out of the many grips on you, but to no avail. Finally, you manage to speak… “Well, if the plane...is ready...guess that means....we have to stop...” 

Johannes practically cackles. “Stop? Oh my goddess, you are so adorable.” 

Jonas stalks back to you, looking every inch a regal lion hunting its prey. “The plane is ready, yes. But I say when the plane leaves....and I don’t recall saying anything about that.” His gaze roams up and down your body, watching Henrik bury his face in you once again and making you wail. “We’re not going anywhere until we’re done with you .... and that could be a while.”

Henrik moans loudly into your folds, tongue swiping back and forth slowly, savoring the taste of you. He moves down to your entrance, rolling his tongue against it but never entering, and his nose rubs against your clit, keeping you on the edge but never tipping you over. “I can see...where they are...coming from...saying you could...get drunk...she is tastier than any alcohol I’ve ever had!” And then he presses the flat of his tongue to your clit and shakes his head. You scream and explode again, your clit throbbing and on fire. Tears of pleasure roll down your face, and “Please stop” becomes a litany you know they have no intention of following.

Henrik holds the flat of his tongue against your clit for long moments, enraptured by the feel of it pulsating against him as you come. Finally, with one last wet suck, he pulls away from you and lets out a shout. “Fuck! Someone take my place so I don’t stay here for another hour!” 

Fire and Water are right there. “We want to give her two at once,” Water says and nods to John and Earth, who spread your legs wider to make room for both ghouls. 

“Oh no, please no, I can’t, please don’t...” you plead frantically.

Fire grins, kneeling before you and opening your lips wide. “Look at her...sweet Satan I’ve missed making her come...” 

“You can actually see her clit pulsing...That’s one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen!” They lean down as one, and the feel of both of their tongues rolling over your clit has your eyes snapping open and your mouth dropping in a silent scream. Your writhing is redoubled, and poor Earth is dragged all over the floor as strength born of desperate pleasure is too much for him without tapping into his demon side.

“My pet, you’re going to re-injure yourself,” Papa scolds you. “Do not make me regret allowing everyone to have their way with you.” 

“It’s too much, please stop, please,” you wail. 

“Not quite the right answer, my pet,” he chuckles. “Earth is going to need help, my friends.” Henrik and Air are both right there, pinning your injured leg down alongside Earth, and John increases the pressure of his hold on your good leg, and all you can do now is buck into Fire’s and Water’s mouths, and they groan loudly.

They keep up the exquisite torture and you come, and you come and come...one orgasm is blending into another now, and your mind is lost by the time they pull away. Their faces are soaked in you, and they’re so drunk off your taste and the feel of your orgasms that they start licking your juices off each other’s skin.

Special and Aether drag the two intoxicated ghouls out of the way, chuckling at their antics. And then Special claps Aether on his back. “I’ll monitor the energies while you enjoy yourself, my friend. No, don’t,” Special continues when it looks like the other ghoul is going to refuse. “You need this just as much as everyone else, don’t deny yourself.” He turns Aether toward you and gives him a nudge. “Make her scream.”

Aether smiles to him gratefully, then chuckles as he kneels. “I doubt that will be hard to do right now.” He smooths his hands over your thighs, smiling as they tremble under his touch. “You are a beautiful mess right now, darling girl. Look at how sloppy you’ve gotten...” He grins up to Jonas. “This carpet is going to need a deep cleaning.”

Jonas smiles. “So will this couch.” He tilts his head. “That’s what soap and water and elbow grease are for, after all. And if that won’t get it clean, well, I already have major repairs on my to-do list. Adding some new furnishings isn’t that big a deal.”

Aether laughs softly. “As you say. Now...” He leans down, ignoring your pleas to stop, and slides his tongue through your folds. He moans at your taste, moving achingly slow to gather up all the fluid he can.

“Aether, please...please,” you gasp. 

“I will, darling girl, I will,” Aether croons as he spreads you open and begins to lick your folds before slowly sliding two fingers into your pussy. “You are so wet, it’s damned amazing.” And then he stops talking altogether, letting his lips and tongue dance over your clit while his fingers fuck you.

You cry out his name, hips rolling, unsure whether you want more or to move away. Your orgasms are coming faster and faster, and Aether draws two out of you. You scream as he makes you squirt all over his face, and all the men moan and growl as they watch your juices fly.

“Fucking christ,” John says as some of your juices land on him. “Is that the first time she’s done that, or has she always been a goddamn shower?” 

Johannes laughs. “It’s all part of her charm, my friend,” he says as he re-adjusts his grip on your arms. “It’s fucking beautiful. You are so goddamn beautiful, sweetness,” he says and he leans down and kisses you, swallowing your cries.

You kiss back even as you beg into his mouth to stop. Aether moans your name softly as he pulls back, looking at his drenched shirt and laughing joyously. All the men murmur praises as Aether moves away and Papa looks to Jonas. “Would you like your turn, my friend?”

Before Jonas can respond, your begging intensifies. “Please, oh no, I won’t last, please stop,” you breathe into Johannes’s mouth, and he chuckles into yours.

“Does the thought of my king’s tongue make you nervous? Maybe it should....” He grins wildly, then kisses you hard. “No stopping,” he rasps. “But keep begging ... it’s turning everyone on...”

Jonas smirks, stepping between your legs and leaning over you as Johannes moves back. “My precious flower...I cannot wait to taste you properly and see what all the fuss is about. If it can reduce these strong men to puddles, you must be delicious.” He kisses you, tongue swirling in patterns on yours that let you have a hint of what you’re in for. Then he is kneeling, kissing his way down your body, dreadlocks sliding over your skin, making you shiver hard. “Fuck, you smell so good...I wonder if I could have a perfume made that smells like you...” You squeak at his words, face lighting up in a bright blush.

Jonas looks at Johannes, a question in his eyes. Johannes grins. “The more embarrassed she is, the wetter she gets. And sometimes she squeals ... it’s very cute. Ask Papa.”

Jonas looks at Papa with a raised eyebrow and a grin. “Oh yes,” the dark pope says with a grin. “She has a deep-seated shame kink. Not, for example, with being called slut and degraded, no no. But calling out certain things about her body will do the trick.” Papa laughs. “You should have seen her face the first time I touched her asshole.”

“And she goes flame red when you put your nose near her cunt and inhale, don’t you, sweetness?” Johannes presses a kiss to your forehead, and your blush deepens at his words and the thought of Jonas doing that to you. 

“Oh please no, I can’t ... not the king, he can’t do that, please don’t,” you whisper, shaking your head frantically.

Jonas smirks. “Does she now? Oh, I must see this.” He catches your eyes, slowly lowering himself down your body, and to his delight the farther down he goes the redder you get.

“P-Please no, please, come on, n-not him!” you cry as he stops, face level with your folds. He gently spreads you open, watching as you drip onto the floor, and leans forward. His nose presses to your labia, and he inhales deeply. You go crimson, trying your hardest to squirm your hips away, the word no a litany spilling from your lips.

“That’s...that’s the most adorable thing I’ve seen in a long time,” Jonas says as he watches your cream slide slowly down your leg. “It’s hard to believe how wet she gets.” 

Papa hums his agreement. “I still am amazed at our good fortune. Go ahead, give her a taste.”

Jonas licks his lips, then leans forward, lapping up the juices on your skin. His eyes widen in shock. “Oh. Oh fuck me...that taste earlier in the throne room...that was nothing compared...how does she taste like this?!” And he dives in eagerly, tongue lapping at you as if your cunt were an ice cream cone on a hot day.

He hums as he devours you, his tongue making the same patterns on and around your clit that it made on your tongue when he kissed you, and your high-pitched keen gets higher and higher until it’s soundless.

His beard...it scratches wonderfully against your inner thighs and folds, enhancing the magic his tongue is working on your clit. Your hips roll into his face, seeking more friction, gasping at how dexterous his tongue is.

His tongue glides down and into your pussy, licking your inner walls as he uses his thumb to press on your clit. Your hips buck tightly against his face, and you pull frantically against Johannes’s grip on your arms but it’s in vain because Johannes isn’t letting go.

“No, no, no, nononono,” you babble, the pleasure overwhelming your senses. Every single muscle in your body is twitching, and when the king lets out a feral growl, you cry his name, and one of your arms finally jerks free of Johannes’s hold.

Your free hand goes immediately to the top of Jonas’s head and you push, trying to move him away from you even as you’re trying to keep him in you. You’re so wound up you’re not sure what you’re trying to do or not do.

“I don’t think so!” Johannes growls, and he reaches for your arm, but pleasure-fueled desperation is lending you strength you don't usually have, and your hand stays on the king’s head.

Jonas laughs softly, tongue rolling against you eagerly. He can definitely understand how the others got drunk on you—your taste is like nothing he’s ever experienced. His thumb rolls over your clit, and he relishes in your shudder.

Papa gently grabs your arm, pulling it away from Jonas and swatting Johannes’s arm away as you protest weakly. “Please, no more, I can’t, I can’t, please...” 

“Oh but my goddess, you can and you are. Come for Jonas, you know you want to...” Papa murmurs to you, before frowning at Johannes. “Calm down, my wolf, not so rough with her.”

“No, no, I can’t,” you gasp, body shuddering in exhaustion and ecstasy. But Jonas doesn’t stop, and neither do your hips, and you cry out tiredly as your orgasm breaks, and it feels like you’re made of glass that has shattered.

Jonas growls into you as he drinks your orgasm down, working you through it. When the spasms wracking your body fade away, you let go, nearly passing out. You can’t even beg anymore, and you’re seriously not sure you will be able to withstand Special’s or Papa’s turns with you.

Jonas moves away, lying on his back and gasping. “She tastes so good...I can’t believe how good...she tastes like a dream...” 

Papa laughs softly. “Earth said something similar the first time he tasted her.” The dark pope looks to Special. “Would you like to go first?” 

“Please,” and your word is no louder than a breath. Your energy is almost gone, you can barely open your eyes anymore. “No...no more...” Your arms are lax against Johannes, your legs slack against Henrick, Air, Earth, and Special.

Special runs his hands along your leg. “I would love to, Papa, if you don’t mind.” 

Earth leans his head against you. “Did we break her?”

You barely hear what they’re talking about. Your body is so tired from the rapid-fire orgasms, and you’re on the verge of falling asleep. But then you hear Papa say, as if from far off, “We must wake her back up. Earth, John—how about you use her as your own special drum kit? Use your hands on her thighs, her tits, her stomach, whatever.” 

“W-Wait, what?” You wake a little, blushing faintly.

Jonas laughs heartily. “An impromptu drum battle! I absolutely approve!”

John grins and Earth smiles but says, “Someone has to take care of her ankle.” 

Henrik slides into place. “I’ve got it, Earth, don’t worry.” Earth relaxes once he sees you’re protected, and begins to contemplate Papa’s suggestion.

You wake up more fully as they slide into place on either side of your middle. “H-Hold on, I’m not a damn drum kit!” 

John totally ignores you and grins to Earth playfully. “Think you can keep up?” The rest of the men are grinning and laughing, enjoying the break from the overwhelming sexual tension.

Earth chuckles; drumming is what he knows best, and he loses that shy, uncertain element of his persona as he shakes his hands out a bit. “Oh my friend, I know what I can do...you may need to worry though.” A cheeky little grin flashes across his face.

John laughs. “That’s the spirit!” The ghouls chant Earth’s name as the men from Avatar Country chant John’s. 

Papa and Johannes grin to each other, before Papa asks, “Who would like to go first?” 

John motions to Earth. “I want to see what you can do, first. Go ahead, little guy.” And he grins to the ghoul to show no harm about the nickname.

Earth takes no offense at the nickname ... he knows the truth: he may be a little guy but he plays like a giant. He smiles at your panicked expression, drops a sweet kiss on your breast, and begins to drum...making a hypnotic rhythm out of sliding the palm of his hand up your belly, flipping his hand, then sliding the back of his hand down your side, while his other hand taps out a series of beats all over your torso that gradually gets faster and more complicated as it goes...his eyes are closed...he is one with his music...

John watches, a smile on his face as the young ghoul’s hands fly through the air. The little ghoul is impressive, John has to admit. And the little smile on his face is adorable. He warms toward the younger man. You, meanwhile, are yelping and squirming—at first at least. But after a few minutes, Earth’s drumming catches even your attention, and you stop and watch him in awe. Papa smiles proudly, knowing what the little ghoul is capable of.

Earth brings his you-drum solo to an end with a satisfying flourish and another soft kiss on your breast. The applause startles him, and his blush is almost as bright as yours.

The ghouls all clap him on the back, cheering and laughing happily. The men from Avatar Country applaud as well, and Tim grins at John. “Watch out, my friend, he might be better than you.” 

John grins. “I would congratulate him if he was.” He cracks his knuckles, shaking out his arms as the applause dies down. He gets a feel on your body for which places make which sounds, and then he begins. He doesn’t start off gradually—he launches right into an amazingly fast solo.

Earth watches the other man, impressed with his speed and talent, but keeps his expression unreadable; he doesn’t want anyone to know what he’s thinking. And what he’s thinking is that Avatar’s drummer is damn good.

John keeps his eyes on Earth the whole time, that intense stare with his bright blue eyes riveted on Earth’s soft brown ones, a little smile turning up the ends of his lips. His legs jump slightly, muscle memory of the double bass pedals impossible to drop. You watch him with as much amazement as you did Earth. And someday you want to see them on proper kits drumming together.

Earth watches John’s hands and listens intently, and then suddenly he joins John’s solo, turning it into a duet...first matching John perfectly, then gradually adapting and adding to it, never losing speed, and complementing John’s solo. John’s eyes widen in surprise, and then the two drummers are incredibly intent—on their drumming and each other, staring each other down as their hands fly.

As much as you are enjoying the incredible musical act happening before you, they are starting to hit harder in their excitement. “Ow, hey, ease up guys!” You try to squirm away from them but their hands follow, and it seems everyone else is too enthralled to do anything about it. 

Papa’s mind is racing—this is incredible, and he wants to see it on stage! And if this is amazing, how amazing would it be if this could be done with the guitarists as well? He looks to Jonas, who looks to Papa at the same time, and they both grin.

Earth and John get faster and faster, hands nothing but blurs over your body, finally nodding to each other and bringing their spell-binding drum duet to a stunning and vibrant conclusion, each of them doing one last roll on your body and ending with a flourish. They stare at each other for one more beat, then begin to laugh and congratulate each other as everyone else in the room cheers.

Everyone except you, that is, who is lying there, whimpering in pain. Reddening handprints, some bruising, litter your torso and thighs. “Y-You guys, that really hurt!” 

John’s eyes widen. “Oh shit! We got a little carried away there!” He scratches the back of his head, looking at you apologetically. “I’m sorry, little flower.”

Earth makes a noise in the back of his throat, and he moves up to your head, kissing you all over. “I’m so sorry, beautiful!” 

“I’m not,” Johannes said with a wild laugh. “She looks gorgeous with all those handprints on her!”

“Now, now, my wolf,” Papa says, putting a hand on Johannes’s shoulder. “This isn’t the type of pain she wanted. So, as much as I do agree with you...Special, will you heal her please?” 

“Of course.” Special kneels between your legs, rubbing his hands softly over your skin wherever there were handprints, and they disappear. You sigh in relief and smile to him gratefully.

Special smiles. “Don’t thank me just yet, you beautiful creature ... it is my turn after all.” And his gaze darkens as he stares at you and watches as your expression slowly changes from grateful to wary in a matter of seconds. 

“Oh...oh no...” you whisper. 

Special nods. “Oh yes.” He looks at Papa. “Better get back to holding her down ... I’m ready to take what I want.” He turns that dark gaze on Johannes, and the wolf swallows hard. “That too.”

A hundred questions flit through your mind at that exchange. You open your mouth to ask, but the words die on your lips as you see Special’s tongue slither from his mouth. Visions of Satan’s tongue come to mind; though Special’s isn’t as long, it is long enough to reach every hidden place inside you. In spite of themselves, Henrik and John shove themselves backward, John exclaiming, “What the fuck?!”

Earth reaches out a reassuring hand to them. “It’s ok, really. He’s...well. He’s a demon so he looks a little ... different. But he won’t hurt her...or any of us.”

Special ignores their reactions, gaze focusing solely on you. He starts slowly leaning down, and you gasp and protest. “N-No, please, it’s too much, s-stop!” But he doesn’t stop, and his tongue is slowly and thoroughly lapping your folds with obscene slurping sounds. You cry out, hips bucking up, the feel of that sinuous tongue so damn good.

His tongue slides into your pussy and he is licking every inch of your inner walls, making you shake and keen. He licks for what seems like an hour, his nose rubbing your clit with every motion of his tongue, until finally he pulls out, and his tongue wraps around your clit, so super sensitive from all the attention it’s received, and you could swear his tongue is vibrating against you. Your orgasm...and your scream...feels like it is being ripped out of you...and you beg him to stop, but he doesn’t stop...and neither does this orgasm...

Your mind is on fire. So is your skin, and your clit, and your insides. You are aware of nothing save the searing pleasure as Special’s tongue writhes against you, rolling over your clit again and again and again...you don’t feel your nails dig into Johannes, you don’t feel your legs jerking in your lovers’ hold. You are lost in a sea of pleasure and fire, and you don’t think there is any coming back from this.

With one last throat-burning scream, you explode around Special, and he drinks you down, soaking himself with you, and everyone in the room, even the Avatar men, feel you come and moan as your pleasure becomes theirs.

You’re barely conscious again as Special pulls away, and the demon’s face is dripping with you. “Fuck...she’s...” His words devolve into a guttural, harsh, but strangely beautiful language, and he rolls away, tongue licking the rest of you off his face. 

Papa chuckles, leaning down and kissing you deeply. “I think I will save my turn for when we get back to the church. Rest, my beautiful goddess.” You don’t need any more prompting—you let go and drop into a deep, exhausted sleep.

There’s a pause, and then John exclaims, “How the fuck is she that tasty?”

“It’s a mystery, brother,” Johannes says as he releases your arms and drops kisses on you anywhere he can reach as the makeup around his eyes and lips starts to fade away. He catches Jonas’s gaze and says, “Can we lay her on your bed, Jonas?” 

“Of course,” Jonas replies, and he helps Johannes gather you up, being mindful of your injury, and settle you on the massive bed while the others exclaim over you.

Earth climbs up and snuggles into your side, laying his head on your shoulder and closing his eyes. Henrik does the same to your other side, stroking a soft hand down your face. “She’s so beautiful...” he whispers, touching your skin reverently.

Jonas heads into his decadent bathroom and comes back with a handful of wet washcloths. He tosses one to Henrik who starts cleaning you up, then hands them out to everyone else. Tim snorts. “You really think I want to lose her scent? It’s called a flavor saver for a reason!”

Amid the laughter, Papa approaches Jonas. “I hesitate to impose on your hospitality, but perhaps we should wait until tomorrow morning to leave. She is exhausted, and quite frankly, I think we all could use some rest in actual beds tonight. Would--” 

“That is no imposition at all,” Jonas replies. “After everything you and your ghouls have done...” Jonas shakes his head. “Of course. Let’s all get some rest tonight.” 

“But first, a little celebration!” Fire calls out, and Tim agrees. 

“Shots all around,” he says and bottles and glasses appear seemingly out of nowhere.

Drinks are poured, and Jonas holds up his glass and calls out, “To Ghost, who saved our kingdom!” 

Papa holds his own glass up. “To Avatar, for being survivors, and good men.” 

John pipes up. “And to our goddess, who saved all our asses!”

They all tip the drinks back, relishing the slight burn. “It’s too bad she’s asleep, she’d be fire engine red if she heard herself being toasted,” Johannes chuckles with Papa. He turns to look for his shirt and runs right into Special. He gulps slightly, wishing the clown’s energy hadn’t faded back into his subconscious. 

Special looks up at the taller man and smiles pleasantly, but his eyes are dark with lust. “I think you and I have some business to attend to, little wolf.” He puts a hand on the other man’s arm, and they both disappear. 

Jonas stares. “...Should I be worried for him?”

Papa chuckles. “Well, one cannot actually die from pleasure...I don’t think. And our Special really just enjoys...being in charge, so to speak.”

Jonas snorts. “Unless he has changed more than I know, Johannes doesn’t like not being in charge.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which hunter and hunted collide...

Special, meanwhile, appears with Johannes in a lavish bedroom that he hasn’t seen before. Lavish and hedonistic--there are restraints and toys everywhere. The wolf swallows as Special steps up to him and all but purrs, “This is going to be fun...you look like you feel amazing, little wolf...”

Johannes avoids looking at Special. And as he looks around the room, he starts feeling nervous...and that annoys him. “Where the fuck did you bring me? This isn’t the castle...what if she needs us?” He turns to look for an exit...

To Johannes’s surprise, there is no exit. “My darling man, do you honestly think I would not know if there was a problem? I am tied to Papa after all. I feel all that he feels...” The demon runs a hand over Johannes’s hair and sighs. “I have not seen a mortal as striking as you in some time...though I suppose you and your king and your inner circle, you’re not exactly mortals, are you?”

“Not exactly,” Johannes says. “We’re not exactly immortal either....but our life spans are.... well, let’s just say I’m older than I look.” He closes his eyes as Special continues to stroke his hair. “You...ah .... you do realize that I’m not ...” He clears his throat. “Despite my situation with Papa, you do know I’m not gay, right?”

Special blinks, coming around to Johannes’s front again. “Well, of course you’re not just gay. Bisexual? Or is it that Papa is different, and you do not care that he has a cock that he’s fucked you with before?”

Johannes opens his mouth to say something snarky, then stops. “I...” And he realizes he hasn’t really given it a lot of thought ... he’s just been...feeling, reacting... Annoyance, anger, his old standby, rears in him again. “Does it fucking matter?”

“In the grand scheme of things, not really. But right here, right now?” His lips twitch as he recalls Papa’s song and finds the words fitting. “It matters very much. You react so strongly, precious wolf—there’s no need for anger. If you truly do not wish me to fuck you, just say so. I would like to talk to you at the very least—you are a fascinating man. But you need to be honest with me...and with yourself. After all...” And Special grins, long tongue licking at his lips. “Lying in Hell is frowned upon.”

Johannes finally looks at Special, really looks, stares really, and it feels like they are staring at each other for an eternity. He licks his lips, finally. “Why...why does it matter? What does it matter to you?”

Special smiles faintly. “Because you are important to Satan. Because you are important to Papa, whom we all care about greatly here. Because you are important to the conduit, who is important to everyone. And because despite what you’ve been taught about demons and Satan and Hell, we want everyone to be happy, without feeling like they’re ‘sinning’ or horrible nonsense like that.” He makes a face. “I’m tired of the misunderstandings. I’m tired of people lying to themselves to make others, especially God, happy.”

Johannes considers his words, still staring at Special. Then, after an age, he says, “I don’t like labels. Let’s just say I’m...I’m open-minded. I’ve never refused to consider anyone....but I’ve never felt the kind of .... attraction....need .... for another man like I feel for Papa .... and you.”

Special’s eyes light up. “Need, huh? I was hoping you would say that.” He reaches up and strokes a hand down the wolf’s cheek. “Truly, never? Not even for your king? I saw the way you touched each other in the throne room...”

The wolf closes his eyes, and although he tries, he can’t prevent the shudder that the demon’s touch draws from him. “My king.... well, that’s different. He’s my king and... We’ve been through a lot together, him and I, and...and I wanted to…” He seems frustrated with his lack of ability to explain what he feels. “He asked, one day...and I said yes.. But when he...changed...I said no. He didn’t care that I didn’t want to, he...he fucked me anyway..” Johannes shakes his head...why is he confiding in this demon? “It’s different with Papa...with you. I don’t... I don’t know why exactly, but I do know that I wouldn’t fuck just any man who comes along.

“But I would you.”

“Interesting,” Special breathes, and the look on his face was akin to a scholar finding some rare text. “So you are not adverse to fucking men, but they have to mean something to you. Your king is friendship and love, and Papa is pure love, but...I should mean nothing to you except perhaps curiosity. Is that truly it?” And he doesn’t sound offended or hurt, merely...curious.

Johannes opens his eyes, stares directly into Special’s mesmerizing gaze ... “I never thought of it as curiosity...maybe it is.... I know for damn sure it’s lust though.”

The piercing green of the demon’s eyes darken into an almost black. “Good...good...I’m going to kiss you now, Johannes, and I don’t know if I’m going to stop. This is your last chance to say no.” Special starts to transform, and Johannes feels a tail suddenly wind round his ankle.

Johannes can’t look away from those eyes if he tried. His breathing is shallow, and his heart is racing like a freight train. “Do you want me to beg for it?”

Special smirks, and his hand suddenly fists into Johannes’s hair, pulling his head back and baring his throat. “I never say no to begging...but I am serious. Do you want me, Johannes? Do you want me to fuck you?”

Johannes grunts and his hand goes to Special’s throat and squeezes, not hard, just...enough. “Kiss me.” Their grips on each other tighten a fraction. “Fuck me.” A little tighter still... “Please.” Johannes’s voice is no more than a lust-filled hiss.

Special shudders, both at Johannes’s hand around his throat and at his plea. Without warning he presses the taller man back against the wall and kisses him, hard, tail suddenly rubbing against his crotch.

Johannes’s erection is rock-hard and he thrusts against the tail, looking for more pressure, more friction, as he groans into Special’s kiss, opening his mouth and seeking that long, sinuous tongue. Special still tastes of their goddess, and your flavor explodes in Johannes’s mouth, intensifying the kiss, making him feel crazed.

Special cries out, tongue wrapping around Johannes’s and stroking as his hand replaces his tail. He moans at the feeling of that rock-hard cock in his hand, and gives Johannes a few hard pumps, wanting the wolf to lose control.

Johannes growls, grabs Special, and spins so that he’s pushing Special against the wall, not breaking the kiss, pushing his cock against Special’s hand. Both of them moan at the same time, and they take turns sucking on each other’s tongues...and then Special suddenly spins them around, putting Johannes’s back against the wall once more, and shoves his hand down the front of Johannes’s pants.

Special revels in the sound of the wolf’s hiss as his hand closes around his cock. He jerks him hard once, twice, and then Johannes is on the bed, and his clothes are neatly folded on the dresser. Special approaches slowly, shedding all his clothes but his pants, and except for the tail he looks fully human right now. He kneels between Johannes’s legs, long tongue roving over his hip.

Johannes thrusts up, trying to get contact on his cock, and Special chuckles. “Always so impatient, wolf,” he says as his tail wraps around Johannes’s leg and creeps up along his thigh, squeezing as it moves.

Johannes growls and suddenly pins Special down. “Damn fucking right, I am.” He grins that wild grin. “It’s part of my charm.” He leans down and rips Special’s pants open, groaning at the cock that springs out.

He bends and drags his tongue from the base of Special’s cock to the tip in one long swipe, moaning at the feel of velvet skin on his tongue. Special gasps at Johannes’s caress, then he flips Johannes onto his back, pinning him down, grinning wickedly. “That charm of yours is going to get you in trouble some day...”

Johannes laughs. “Trouble is my favorite thing to be in, right after my goddess and Papa. And I’m thinking I’ll have to add another name to that list...” Special finds himself, somehow, on his stomach, with Johannes grinding hard into the demon’s perfect ass.

Special can’t help himself ... he grinds back into Johannes, reveling in the feel of Johannes’s cock against his ass. “Oh wolf, you are a treasure. It’s no wonder that Papa loves you.” He rolls his hips against Johannes’s cock again, and the wolf hisses. “I might let you in me... “ Special spins and flips, putting Johannes on his stomach, caressing his ass. “But I want in you first.”

Johannes groans, fingers clenching at the almost tender touches on his ass. “We’ll see, little demon.” He grabs Special’s arm and yanks, and the demon is under him once again, and Johannes has one leg up over his shoulder, grinding into Special’s erection.

Special grunts, grinds back, and grins. “Ah wolf,” he says with a slightly breathless laugh, “this has been most amusing.” With a snap of his fingers, he has Johannes on his back, legs spread, tail pinning him down. Johannes tries to flip him but can’t this time ... Special isn’t letting him. “Most amusing indeed.” He slides his erection along Johannes’s ass and both men hiss. “But I always top first.”

Johannes growls, baring his teeth at the demon, who’s using his powers to hold him down. “You’re cheating!” 

Special laughs as he reaches for the lube on the nightstand. “Perhaps, but right now I just want to be inside you.” He slicks himself, then works Johannes open with two fingers, groaning. “So tight...”

Johannes’s growl becomes a shout as Special’s fingers slide in and out of his hole. Special stares at Johannes as he lets the fingers of his other hand wrap around Johannes’s cock...soon his two hands are working the wolf in a smooth rhythm, making Johannes roll his hips with need. “If you don’t shove your cock inside me right fucking now,” Johannes growls, “I am gonna lose my fucking mind.”

Special simply looks at him with that smile and says, “Good.” And he strokes a finger down Johannes’s prostate. The noise that comes out of the wolf’s mouth is strangled and raw, and Special lets out a growl himself as the wolf bucks hard, and drops of pre-cum flow from his tip.

Special leans over and licks up Johannes’s pre-cum with a tiny, barely audible slurping sound, and he hums his satisfaction as the wolf shouts wordlessly. “Mmm, give me more,” Special murmurs as his fingers continue to torment Johannes’s hole and cock. The demon squeezes the wolf’s cock as he strokes upward, receiving the gift of more pre-cum, which he eagerly laps up. 

“Fucking christ, fuck me,” Johannes bites out through clenched teeth.

“Ah, ah, ah, that’s not the kind of begging I want, little wolf,” Special says in a singsong voice. His lips suckle the very tip of Johannes’s cock, tiny little slurping noises adding to the assault on the other man’s senses, and then he adds a third finger.

Johannes shouts again. “I. Don’t. Beg.” He tries to lift his hands, to put them on Special, but the demon holds his whole body immobile...except his hips, which roll and roll, looking for friction, pressure...anything. “I. Don’t. Beg!” he shouts again. 

Special chuckles. “Oh but you will. That’s my favorite lesson to teach.”

Special’s fingers are rhythmically rubbing Johannes’s prostate now, rubbing the same time he pumps his cock. Another wordless shout rips out of the wolf’s lips, and then suddenly there’s nothing. Special pulls his hands completely away from Johannes’s body, except for the fingers in his ass, which do nothing, just sit there. Johannes grits his teeth, shuddering hard at the sudden loss of stimulation, but he isn’t going to let it affect him...right?

The demon and the wolf stare at each other for what seems like hours, the battle of wills stretching out. Johannes’s hips buck, but it’s not enough, and Special does nothing but stare, the tiniest smirk at the corner of his mouth. Johannes tries to clear his mind, but the fingers in his ass won’t let him, the need rising up in him won’t permit it, and he can’t stop the wanting... “Please,” he whispers.

The tiny smirk spreads. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that?” And he lets the tiniest twitch of his fingers rub against Johannes’s inner walls. 

The wolf grits his teeth, not wanting to say it louder, but his cock throbs in need and he gasps out a desperate “Please!”

Special’s fingers twitch again, and his mouth hovers over Johannes’s cock, breathing on the tip but not touching it. “Please what? Please stop? Please go away?” The eye contact is electric. “You have to be more specific, little wolf. Else I am liable to misunderstand you...and my fingers might....slip out....”

Slowly, a centimeter at a time, his fingers do start retreating, and Johannes gets a panicked look. “N-No! Please fuck me, please fuck me PLEASE FUCK ME!” he roars. 

Without any further prompting Special’s fingers pull out of him, and his slicked-up cock slides in in one smooth motion. “That’s a good wolf...” Special coos, and then his hips are pistoning, pressing hard on Johannes’s prostate with each thrust in.

Johannes grunts and gasps with every thrust and his cock jumps, begging for its own stimulation as it leaks. “Please...please...” Johannes rasps. “My cock...jerk me off...or let me do it...please...” 

“Such a good wolf,” Special groans as his hips slam into Johannes.... and his tail wraps around his cock...

Johannes cries out, fingers digging into Special’s sheets as his hips buck. “So good, in fact, that I’ll give you a little treat...” He leans his head down, and his tongue comes slithering out. His tail is wrapped around the base of Johannes’s cock, so his tongue wraps around the top. And then tail and tongue are moving in tandem, jerking the wolf off, pressure and wet heat and friction all at once, and Johannes howls as he comes almost instantly.

Hot jets of cum spurt out and Special catches as much as he can on his tongue, bringing it in and swallowing it down with a hungry sound. The speed of his thrusts becomes inhumanly fast, and his tail stays where it is on Johannes’s cock, milking it as Special finally comes deep in Johannes’s ass with a roar.

Special shudders as he comes down from his amazing high, and slumps forward, nuzzling into the wolf’s neck. “You’re incredible, Johannes,” he whispers, pressing kisses into the other man’s skin. “I can see why Papa is addicted to you both.”

Freed from Special’s hold on him, Johannes brings his hands up to run them through the demon’s hair, slide them up and down his back and sides. “You’re amazing...you’re so much like Papa...you feel like him, even your scent...it’s not exactly the same but it’s so close...”

Special sighs and relaxes at the other man’s caresses, melting into Johannes’s chest. “My human form is modeled after him as much as possible. I’m glad it’s working so well.” His tail rubs idly along the wolf’s hips, caressing softly, fondly. “Papa is very important to all of us down here. Which means anyone important to him is important to us. We love him...and all the ghouls, and now your goddess and...you.” He looks up at the man and smiles. “You’ve been through a lot. And now you have everything back.”

Johannes stares at the ceiling. “I... I hadn’t even thought about that. Not really.” Hot tears form and he closes his eyes, fighting them hard. “I don’t... After the last whipping, I gave up, gave in to the darkness that was surrounding me, surrounding us. I didn’t think I could escape it, and it hurt too much to keep trying.” The tears are falling without Johannes realizing it. “I can’t believe that it’s all ok, that everyone is all right, that we have Jonas back...that I am in love...I don’t deserve any of this.”

“Hey now,” Special soothes, caressing the wolf’s cheek gently. “You did what you had to do. You didn’t know that he was possessed by that shit-stain of an angel. You did what you had to do to survive—you know that if you had kept on defying him, that angel would have killed you. You would never have met Papa, or your goddess, or me. You wouldn’t have met little Earth, your adorable shadow. If you’d died, Jonas never would have been saved.” He presses a kiss to the corner of the wolf’s mouth. “Of course you deserve happiness, my precious wolf. You’re a good man, forced to do bad things. And now it’s over and you...you need to start forgiving yourself.”

“Well, that’s the tricky part, isn’t it?” Johannes opens his eyes and looks at Special. “The forgiving.” 

Special shrugs, smiles sadly. “It takes time. But you have all of us behind you.”

Johannes smiles, wipes his eyes, then says, “You don’t really think this is over, do you? That angel...we killed it but that doesn’t mean shit, does it.”

Special sighs, tracing patterns on Johannes’s chest. “I’ve already told Papa. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to tell you. No, it’s not over. Apparently, there have been plans to take down the Clergy for decades now. We’ve been around a long time, longer than Ghost has been a reality, obviously. That thing was occupying Jonas for years, simply to use Avatar Country’s army to take down our Church...no, it’s not over. I’m afraid we have royally, no pun intended, pissed them off.” He pauses, then smiles. “I have allowed Papa to sway me into giving you all two days’ time off from anything stressful. But after that, we must plan. We must seek out information on their next attack.”

Johannes stills. “They probably have other plans already in motion. They had Jonas for ... well, an incredibly long time.” He stiffens. “What if they go after our goddess? Fucking christ, we need to get back to her.”

“My wolf, relax. I can tell you with certainty that they will need time themselves to regroup. We dealt them a grievous blow today.” He kisses Johannes until he feels the man’s muscles loosen. “That’s it, my good wolf. Besides, all your friends are with her, and so is Papa. He won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I know...you’re right. I just...I feel like I have so much to make up for as far as she’s concerned. I’ve failed her so much... I shouldn’t be here, I should be with her.” Johannes closes his eyes once more. “Am I ever not going to feel like a huge fuck-up?”

“You have to accept that you’re not a huge fuck-up first. And you’re not.” He looks at Johannes, smooths his fingers over his cheekbones gently. “Do you truly wish to go back right now?”

Johannes closes his eyes at Special’s touch, and Special smiles, lets his lips follow the path his fingers are making. “Not when you’re touching me like that.” He grabs Special’s hand and kisses his fingers. “I’d feel better about staying if I knew for sure she’s ok.”

Special smiles. “I can do that.” He closes his eyes and connects with Papa, thinking, *Is she doing all right? Johannes wants to know.* 

Papa, lying at your head and talking with Jonas as ghouls and the men from Avatar talk and snooze on the giant bed, smiles. *She’s fine, Special. Sleeping the sleep of the oversexed. Is my wolf in one piece?* 

Special laughs. *He took it like a champ, but he is worried about his goddess. He’s a bit of a worrywart, isn’t he?* 

Papa snorts. *You have no idea.* 

Special opens his eyes again and smiles up at Johannes. “She’s still asleep, my little wolf. Everyone is fine and happy.”

“You’re sure she’s ok?” Johannes says. 

“Papa says she’s sleeping the sleep of the oversexed.” Special chuckles.

“And everyone else is all right too?” Johannes asks. 

“Papa wouldn’t lie, wolf,” Special says. 

“Good.” And Johannes moves, flipping Special over and onto his stomach, settling behind him. “I think it’s my turn.”

Special laughs. “It is indeed. Go ahead, little wolf, ravage me!” He get his knees under him, and he reaches back and spreads his cheeks open as his cock swells again. “The lube is right next to us.”

Johannes chuckles. “Yes, yes...just hold on there a minute...” He grabs Special by the hips and pulls him up so he’s more on his knees. “That’s right, spread yourself open for me...” He gets down between Special’s legs. “Ready?” And without waiting for an answer, he begins to lick Special’s hole.

Special cries out. He hadn’t expected this from the wolf, and his hips buck at the slick teasing of that talented tongue. It might not be as long as a demon’s, but damn if Johannes didn’t know what to do with it. He shudders, trying to impale himself on that dexterous, slick muscle.

Johannes runs his tongue all over Special’s entrance, and then finally stiffens his tongue and shoves it inside Special as far as he can, humming in satisfaction at the sound of the demon’s cries.

Special quivers, fingers curling into the sheets. Johannes sees the back of one thigh spasm as a strangled cry rips out of the demon’s throat. His tail lashes over Johannes’s head, and it accidentally bashes the other man across his cheek. Johannes laughs, and smacks Special’s ass hard. “S-Sorry, sorry!” the demon gasps.

Johannes groans as he pulls his tongue out, lashes it over Special’s hole, then forces his tongue back in again. He wraps his arm around Special’s hip and finds his cock, pumping it hard and moaning into Special’s ass.

Special bucks hard, and he wraps his tail around Johannes’s arm, squeezing lightly. Profanities spill out of the demon’s mouth, in English and that guttural language the wolf doesn’t know. He rolls his hips back into that sinfully talented tongue and grips the sheets harder.

Johannes finally pulls himself out of Special with a shout and grabs the lube, quickly slicking his cock up. He slides one slick finger in Special’s ass and hisses. “You are going to feel so good around my cock, good god damn.”

The keen that’s pulled out of Special’s throat is needy, and he shudders at the feeling of Johannes’s long finger pumping in and out of him. “Fuck that feels so fucking good, Johannes!” His ass waves in the air as he tries desperately to get more friction.

Johannes quickly slides a second finger in and begins to scissor his fingers inside Special’s asshole, smoothing his other hand over one perfect ass cheek. He slaps it, then smooths his hand over the red mark he left. “I hope you’re ready because I’m an impatient fuck, I have to fuck you,” he growls.

The demon gasps at the smack, then lets out a long moan as he quivers. “Yes, fuck me, Johannes, and don’t hold back, don’t you dare!” His cock twitches, leaking drops of pre-cum onto his own sheets.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, demon,” Johannes says as he pulls his fingers out of Special’s ass and lines his cock up at the entrance. He runs his other hand up Special’s back to his neck, pushing him down into the mattress as he shoves his cock home.

Special shouts, then laughs in delight into his sheets. “Fuck! That’s it, wolf, let go!” He rolls his hips back again, fucking himself on Johannes’s swollen cock desperately.

“Fuck yes!” Johannes curses with every thrust as he slams his hips against Special’s. “You’re so...fucking...tight...FUCK.” He reaches around and grips Special’s cock in his fist, pumping him quickly in time with his thrusts. He couldn’t be slow and gentle if he tried.

Special writhes under him, tail wrapping around Johannes’s waist, a constant stream of cursing and cries ripping from his throat. Patches of his skin go black and then back to human, horns appear and disappear in his hair, claws shred his sheets before becoming blunt. It’s been a while since he was fucked like this—he’s forgotten how intense it can be on the receiving end of that much passion.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m not gonna last, I’ve gotta come in your ass, fuck!” Johannes shouts as he feels his orgasm getting closer, and he pumps Special even harder, trying to get the demon to come when he does.

Special shouts and spills himself into Johannes’s hand, blinded for a moment by the intensity of his orgasm. He whimpers, actually whimpers, as he hears Johannes follow him into bliss and fill his ass with scalding seed. He collapses under the man, panting hard and mewling in the luxurious afterglow.

Johannes drapes himself over Special’s body, gasping for air, feeling his cock twitch inside Special’s ass. “Holy fuck. That was...intense. Fuck.” After a few minutes, he slowly pulls out of Special and then sort of slides off him to the side, keeping his arms wrapped around him.

Special turns in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to Johannes’s racing pulse point. There is silence for a moment, and then Johannes feels a wicked grin on Special’s lips. “You really want to make our goddess turn red, eat her ass next.” And he actually lets out an evil little giggle.

Johannes’s laugh would be wild if he weren’t still recovering. “Fucking great idea. Her blushes get me so hard...” He runs a hand down Special’s side. “You know what makes me harder?” The demon hums encouragingly as he licks sweat off Johannes’s body. “The thought of you, me, and Papa with our goddess...holding her down, filling her up, letting her ride us...” A growl rumbles in the wolf’s chest as his cock twitches with interest. “Damn....”

Special growls himself, his own cock twitching against the other man’s. “That does sound incredible...” He leans up, whispering into Johannes’s ear, “I want to eat yours and Papa’s cum out of her...” His hips grind against the other man’s. “I want to lick you both off her breasts.”

Johannes moans, his hand moving to Special’s cock, stroking it lightly. “Fuck, that will really make her red. Just watching the cum leak out of her cunt is ... fuck.” He moves a bit so he can press his own cock against Special’s. “Fuck, if she weren’t asleep, I’d say we get started...”

Special groans at the contact and rolls over on top of the other man. “Guess it’s round three.” 

By the time Special teleports them both back, they’ve gone several more rounds and it is very late. They appear next to the giant bed and see everyone asleep, curled around you and each other, their sleeping forms uncaring who they cuddle up to. Henrik’s head is pillowed on your calf muscle, and one of his legs is thrown over Fire, who is holding it as if it were a teddy bear. Papa is curled around your head, one hand resting on your hair, his forehead pressing against Jonas’s, who has one hand on your stomach. Earth is curled up right against your left side, head on your shoulder. The rest are in a jumbled mess.

Johannes and Special look at each other and grin. “It is incredible to see how this one woman grabs everyone to her,” Special says quietly. “I’ve been around forever, and I have never seen anything quite like it.”

Johannes smiles softly as he beholds your sleeping form. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love her...” He goes quiet for a moment, and then, “And I’m going to spend the rest of her life making up for what I put her through. She deserves nothing less.” He leans over and kisses Special’s cheek, then sheds his shirt and shoes. He climbs gently onto the bed, being careful not to wake any of the others, and slips onto your right side. You sigh in your sleep and lift an arm over his shoulder, fingers sliding into his hair as if they’ve always belonged there. He smiles, eyes stinging at how his heart swells, and then he lays his head down on your right shoulder and falls asleep.

Special scans the entire room, making sure everything and everyone is all right. His gaze moves over each ghoul, every wolf...time passes without him realizing it as he watches...Jonas’s chest rises and falls... Fire mumbles into Henrik’s leg...Aether and Tim shift around... you burrow in to Johannes’s side, throw one arm up to rest on Papa... and Special smiles. He doesn’t need to sleep, and he normally would go back to his own dimension...but he finds himself settling on the bed. 

Papa opens his eyes. “You’re staying on this side tonight?” 

“Looks like. Is that all right?” 

Papa smiles sleepily. “Of course, brother.”

Special smiles. “Go back to sleep, Papa.” Papa chuckles faintly and does so, fingers lacing with yours on his chest. The room is silent, and peaceful, and for the first time in years, everything is okay in the castle of Avatar Country.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which your new life begins ... again ...

The next morning is cheerful havoc as everyone rushes to get all their things onto the plane. During that time, Jonas, in full royal regalia, addresses his people as to what had happened and why the castle partly exploded.

Final instructions are issued, paperwork is signed, and everyone starts getting settled on the plane, a lavish, luxurious craft that astounds you. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this before,” you say in awe as you buckle in between Papa and Johannes.

Papa smiles. “The clergy has their own private jet, but we don’t use it on tour. It is much like this, but with more, ah...” 

“Sex toys,” Fire says with a grin as he makes his way to his seat. 

You facepalm. “Why am I not surprised?” 

Jonas, sitting next to Henrik, murmurs to his bodyguard, “I haven’t actually been to the church before, right?” 

“No, my lord,” Henrik replies. “We all only met the once, when our goddess interrupted.”

“It’s beautiful though,” Johannes says, “in a dark way.” You look around, thinking about Henrik’s words, and how much has changed since that night you’d gone looking for a bathroom. You almost don’t recognize yourself...but one look at all the gorgeous men surrounding you, and you know you wouldn’t change anything.

The plane takes off without issue (other than a small whimper from Water, who doesn’t like flying), and soon enough everyone can move around the cabin. Earth immediately scuttles over and sits at your feet, leaning his cheek on your knee and beaming up at you. You smile happily back and caress his cheek.

Special comes up behind you. “We have a long flight ahead of us. How about we finish healing that ankle and knee?” 

You look around at him, nodding. “No better time than now, I guess.”

Special comes around with a smile and gently lifts your leg, resting it on his lap. His hands encircle your ankle, and you feel warmth, pleasant and soft, fill your leg. You sigh in relaxation, closing your eyes and leaning your head against Johannes’s shoulder. Jonas claps a hand to Papa’s shoulder suddenly and smiles to the dark pope. “I would love to talk more about this alliance you mentioned. Details and such.”

“Of course, your majesty. I think forging an alliance is the best thing we can do. And think of how the fans will react,” Papa says as he kisses your hand.

You blush faintly, but your eyes pop open, sparkling in excitement. “You guys have no idea how fans of both of you will go absolutely fucking nuts.” 

Papa snorts and laughs, loud and long. “Do you honestly think we don’t know? We know exactly how fans will react to certain things. Why do you think we do them? We love seeing you all go insane.”

“I knew it! I knew it!” You start to jump in your seat, but Special gives you a playful swat. 

“Stay still, little one, I’m not done.” 

You stop moving, but you’re still jumping internally. “I knew you do stuff on purpose to drive fans crazy! Gods, it’s like you want us to lose our minds!”

Jonas laughs softly. “Of course we do. It’s fun for everyone that way.” He leans against Papa’s seat. “At the end of the day, we are an entertainment group. We want to see you all having fun and losing your troubles.”

You lean back in your seat and sigh. “Well, it certainly works. I can’t tell you how many times you guys helped me forget about the crap in my life, and put a smile on my face, or got me all excited over a new album, or tour dates. Pure escapism at its best.” You smile. “Of course, now it’s even better for me ... you really have helped me escape the crap in my life...”

All the men who hear that stare at you, open mouthed. Jonas is the first to speak up. “You’ve been raped, almost killed how many times now, you’re sitting there with a shattered ankle, you’ve been marked by Satan—no offense, Papa—and this is...better than your life before?” Johannes winces at the mention of his part in this and looks away, hair shielding his face in shame.

You nudge Johannes. “Please don’t, my wolf. We’ve talked about this.” You grab his hand and kiss his palm, then turn to Jonas. “I don’t consider it rape. Once I had a few days to think about it, I realized that...it didn’t stay forced. I could see in his eyes that...that he was trapped even more than I was.” You reach out with your other hand and take Jonas’s gently when you see him wince like Johannes did. “And yeah, it is better. Look,” you continue before any of the men can say anything, “what you don’t understand is how...empty my life was. I had no family around. Very few friends. I was living in a shitty apartment, I was working three part-time dead-end jobs to make ends meet, and I was about to lose one of those jobs, so the ends were about to not meet anymore. My last partner ended up being…” Your eyes go distant for a moment, and your lips thin and turn white, before you snap back out of it as Special gives you a look, one that is more understanding than you’re comfortable with, and pats your leg gently. “...well, anyway, I may have been...mostly safe and uninjured, but I was just ... existing. What’s worse is ... I was alone. No one cared, no one was really there for me.” Tears slide down your cheeks. “I can be in danger every minute of every day, and I’m ok with it...because I’m not alone. I have people who care about me and who I love. You guys make it all worth it.” 

Earth hugs your uninjured leg tighter, and Papa’s face softens. He leans over and kisses your tears away. “You will never be alone again.” 

Jonas looks down, looking like he’s kicking himself. “I...I’m sorry, my precious flower. I had no idea...and the thought of you, you wonderful, caring, courageous woman, being alone...it is a horrible thought. I can see where being with us, even though we’ve hurt you, would be better. Being alone is...” His eyes close, and he’s reliving his darkness.

“It sucks,” you say. “But here we are. And this decidedly does not suck.” You gesture to him with a smile, and he moves around behind you, embracing you, and you kiss him and stroke his dreads.

The kiss breaks, and Jonas presses another small kiss to your forehead before moving back to Papa. “So,” he says with a smile, “that drum battle yesterday was incredible! I think something like that on stage would be a very fun thing to do.” John, passing by with a drink, hears this and grins, looking over at Earth with bright eyes. 

“I absolutely agree,” Papa says. “I also think the same thing with guitars would be just as fun. I’m sure that you and Fire would make for a great show, and Aether and Tim.”

Your eyes are closed again and you’re focused on Special’s healing touch, but you start mumbling, “Don’t forget about you two.” 

Papa looks at you and smiles. “Who two?” 

“You two,” you say. “You and Johannes. I won’t ever forget listening to you sing together on the plane...it was beautiful. Everyone should get to hear that.” You reach out your hands, one to Papa, one to Johannes, although the wolf doesn’t respond.

Papa takes your hand and looks over to the wolf, sighing softly, then leans back in his seat. His shoulders straighten, his chest puffs out, he takes a deep breath, and starts to sing. “You look like you need a friend, let me in and we’ll pretend...” You see Johannes’s ear twitch, and he can’t help but look over as Papa sings the slow, sad song. The dark pope stands, slowly coming around Special to kneel in front of Johannes. The song falls away for a moment, and he asks, softly, “Sing with me, my love?”

You hold your breath as you watch your two loves, not sure how Johannes will respond. After a few beats, he picks up where Papa left off, singing the next verse, then Papa joins in at the chorus, harmonizing with Johannes. You’re still not breathing, mesmerized by their voices, but also hoping that it helps break some of the shame Johannes still feels.

Papa smiles as they sing, and he pulls Johannes to his feet as they sing the next verse together. Their voices weave together, Johannes staying lower, Papa taking higher, and the cabin fills with sound that brings everyone to a stop. The last time they sang together on the plane had been amazing, but this...goosebumps raise on everyone’s skin as their voices raise for the last verse, and Fire actually wipes a tear away as their voices soften for the last chorus. Their voices fade, and they stare into each other’s eyes, before looking to you in surprise as you burst into tears and clap enthusiastically. Everyone on the plane joins in, Fire yelling and cheering.

“See? You absolutely CANNOT keep that to yourselves ... fangirls alone would die instantly,” you squeal through your tears. “You are amazing together!” 

Jonas agreed. “It’s too good to pass on.”

Papa smiles up to his wolf, reaching up and tugging playfully on a lock of his hair. “What do you say, my love? Will you join me on stage?” 

Special frowns as you wiggle in your seat, your excitement too much for your body to keep still. “Goddess, please, we both need to concentrate!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” you whisper, “I’m still a fangirl at heart, I can’t help it.” 

Johannes finally smiles. “How can I refuse? Our goddess would have my head if I say no.” 

You throw yourself back in your seat with a squeal, and Special is scowling now. “If you don’t settle, someone is going to get a spanking.”

You squeak and go stock-still, not sure you want a spanking from an arch-demon. Papa laughs softly, then leans up and kisses Johannes. He whispers, “Are you all right? My love, you and all the Avatar men need to start understanding that it was not your fault, that you were manipulated.”

“I know, I know,” Johannes whispers back. “My head knows it but my heart... I still feel like dying when someone mentions what I did.” 

Papa hums. “Perhaps someone else is going to need a spanking too,” he growls as he pulls Johannes down and kisses him deeply.

Special snickers. “Perhaps not for a day or two. I believe he is still a bit tender from what happened last night.” 

You blink, having been unconscious for their exit and return. “Last night?” You look up at Johannes. “What happened last night?” Jonas, behind you, starts snickering.

Johannes nudges Special’s ass with his foot and elicits a hiss. “Safe to say the same for you, I think,” the wolf smirks, his mood lightening. 

“Wait,” you say, struggling against Special’s hold. “Did I miss something last night? I did, didn’t I? That’s not fair! What did I miss? Why didn’t anyone wake me up?”

Papa laughs. “I doubt the apocalypse would have woken you, my love. Besides, Special took Johannes to his place for their...festivities.” 

Special smirks up at the wolf. “You gave as good as you got, little wolf. I was impressed.” 

You frown, then pout and slump back in your seat. “Still not fair...”

Special smirks up at you as well. “Don’t worry, little conduit, Johannes and I have plans for you and Papa as well...” 

You swallow as Papa blinks, then smirks and says, “Well, that does sound interesting...”

“What kind of plans?” you ask as you watch the silent communication between Papa, Johannes, and Special, your curiosity killing you. “I want to know, if it involves me I should know.”

“I am beginning to think the only plan you’ll be getting is that spanking,” Special says.

Papa chuckles. “I for one am looking forward to that surprise. Be patient, my love.” 

You sigh, propping your head on your fist. “Patience has never been a strong suit of mine.” But you let it drop for now, concentrating on staying still.

You listen to Papa and Jonas discuss the finer details of the proposed alliance as you focus on not letting your leg so much as twitch. Soon your mind is in a meditative state, and while you hear everyone’s voices, it’s like white noise. You can't make out words or even who’s speaking at any given moment...until out of nowhere one voice...one you don’t recognize...rises up in your mind... *You’re next. And you’ll be ours.* You startle hard, making Special exclaim angrily.

Papa and Johannes look over, frowning. “Ghuleh, there’s no need—” 

“Something spoke to me!” You gasp, heart hammering, eyes wide and face pale. 

“What spoke to you?” Special asks, and while his voice is urgent, his hands are still gentle on your ankle. 

Your hands shake as you reply, “I-I don’t know. I didn’t recognize the voice. It just said...’You’re next, and you’ll be ours.’” All the men from Avatar start growling, and the elemental balance from the ghouls is immediately thrown out of whack. You look up at Papa and Johannes, terrified tears rolling down your cheeks.

Johannes cups your face, wipes your tears with his thumbs, and presses your head to his chest, whispering soothing words as his gaze jumps between Papa and Special. 

“There goes your two days,” Special murmurs as he bends his head over your ankle. 

Papa curses. “No, we are going to have two days to regroup if it’s the last thing we do.”

Earth hugs your good leg tighter, looking up to Papa. “Are you sure that we’re going to have that much time? What if...what if something is happening already?” 

“Well, to be fair, Earth, it’s likely that they have had plans in motion for some time,” Special says, “so two days isn’t that much to ask. And Papa is right, we all can use some time to rest, and release some tension, sexual and otherwise.” He winks at you.

You wrap your arms around Johannes’s waist, shuddering, shaking against him. “Why can’t they just let us be happy? We’re not hurting anyone...we’re making the world a better place, for fuck’s sake!” 

Air comes over, putting a gentle hand on your back, but he’s looking to Papa. “After these two days are up, she needs to get trained for real. She can move some of her energy, and she can block a little...but she needs to be able to defend herself. It needs to be second nature to her.”

“I will help with training our precious here.” Special looks up at the tall ghoul. “So right now, she can relax.”

“Not sure I’m going to be able to relax, to be honest...” you murmur into Johannes’s chest. “Gonna be worried I’m going to hear voices all the time now.” 

Jonas runs his fingers through your hair softly. “Don’t worry, little flower. We’ll definitely help you relax. At the very least we’ll distract you enough that you don’t worry.” 

John pipes up. “Don’t forget, you mentioned that you’d like to learn an instrument. We could start lessons too.” There’s a beat of surprised silence, and then everyone who isn’t a singer is clamoring about how their instrument is the best.

In no time, you’re laughing and you look up to the plane’s ceiling and yelp, “OK, OK, I get it! Everyone has the best instrument! Y’all are goofs!!!” 

Everyone starts laughing with you, and Johannes hugs you tight. “We’ll help you keep your mind off everything, sweetness. You’ve got a whole bunch of highly motivated males willing to do whatever it takes,” Johannes says. “At the very least, Papa owes you some oral.” And he wiggles his tongue at you to make you giggle.

You do giggle, and blush. “He does indeed. I can’t believe how many times I came yesterday...” 

Tim growls behind you. “You were a vision, my little flower...and your taste...” 

Henrik sighs. “I’ve never tasted anything as good as you...” 

You blush even harder and look down. “T-Thanks...I-I think. H-How’s that ankle coming along, Special?” you ask nervously as your loves’ eyes darken.

“Just...about...done,” Special answers, and he slowly removes his hands from you. “It’s best if you stay off it for a little while, just to give the bone a chance to settle. But...I think we can all figure out a way to keep you off your feet for the time being.” And his grin is wicked.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the best distraction is pleasure...

One by one, wolves and ghouls slowly move closer, gathering around you, some smiling deviously, others gazing at you intently, and you know exactly what Special means by keeping you off your feet. You swallow hard, holding out your hands as if trying to keep your loves at bay. “N-Now, w-wait a moment, I-I was literally sexed into unconsciousness yesterday, a-and you all are ready to go again?!” 

Papa laughs, reaching down and cupping a breast. “My love, you should have realized by now that with all of us being who we are, our sex drives are just as intense. Of course we’re ready again.” He smirks darkly. “So you had better be.”

“And let’s be honest,” Johannes says with a hint of his wild laugh, “you were doing the majority of the coming ... most of the rest of your boys here didn’t release a drop. You don’t want them to suffer now, do you?” 

“Oh sure,” you laugh nervously, “play the guilt card why don’t you...” You arch into Papa’s caress and sigh almost without realizing it. “Oh you all feel so good...”

Fire grins, leaning down and pressing his lips to the side of your neck. “Let us make you feel even better...” 

Special snaps his fingers and your clothes are piled in another seat. You blush, but can’t help a grin. “Guess I’ll get my mile high club cred today...”

Papa chuckles. “Now that you mention it, you might not be the only one to get that ... club membership today.” He leans over and kisses you, pulling a tiny mewl out of you as he does so.

You wonder who else will be getting it as you kiss him back, fingers sliding into his hair. Fire sucks a hickey into your neck as Jonas does the same on the other side. You feel Earth pressing kisses along your thigh and sucking small marks into your skin, and you sigh into Papa’s lips.

Johannes cups your other breast, leaning in to first lick and then suckle the nipple, making you gasp. John comes over and helps Special spread and position your legs, draping them over the arms of your seat, exposing you to everyone’s heated gaze.

You shudder, then cry out as Earth leans in and gives you a swipe from entrance to clit. You are still ultra-sensitive from yesterday, and your hips move away from the little ghoul’s tongue. He smiles up at you, and he moves away as Jonas moves between your legs. “I promised you some real love-making, little flower.” His eyes stare into yours as his hands undo his belt.

“I...I know...” you whisper as you watch him slowly unfasten his pants, letting his cock spring free. You whimper at the sight, your pussy clenching as you anticipate his thick width breaching you. 

“Look at me,” Jonas says, and your gaze returns to his eyes. “I want you to watch me as I take you.”

“Yes, sir,” you whisper, eyes darting around the strong features of the king. His eyes are so dark, and a few dreads frame his face, the rest tied back in a loose tail. He leans forward, hands bracing on the back of the seat. 

His hips roll, sliding his thick cock over your already wet folds. “You are always ready to go, aren’t you?” he rasps, eyes still holding yours. 

“I-I kind of have to be around Papa and Johannes.” You gasp as his hardness rubs over your clit, and you shudder hard. “T-They barely let me rest...”

Jonas smiles darkly. “That’s hardly their fault, is it, when you look so beautiful,” he slides his cock over your clit, “and you smell so good,” drags the tip through your folds, “and you taste divine.” He leans closer and kisses you. “If it were up to me, you’d never be dressed,” he says in a low, dark voice as he rubs your clit once more before letting the tip of his cock slowly part your folds and press into your slit.

His words cause you to gasp again, and you gush around his tip. He growls at the sensation, reaching a hand down and guiding his tip all around your entrance in slow, teasing, tortuous circles. “You like that idea, don’t you? You want me to keep you naked in my bed? Not allow you to have a stitch of clothing on for weeks?” You whimper his name, fingers curling into his shirt, and you nod frantically. He makes a disapproving sound and pulls his tip away. “Use your words, my little flower...” 

“Yes, yes I want that!” you cry, desperate to have him back.

Jonas hums his approval and his cock head returns to your entrance, rubbing over your clit once more and then going back to your slit, pressing against it, just barely inside you. “What else do you want, little flower?” he murmurs, pulling out, pressing in just the tiniest bit, over and over. “Do you want everyone here to watch me split you open with my cock? Watch as I slide into you and make you come around my dick?”

“Yes, oh gods yes, I want that,” you moan, your words guttural and thick in your mouth. “I want everything...all of you...”

“Such a good little flower you are,” he growls. “And you shall have all of me.” Without warning he slides fully home, indeed splitting you open around him. His cock is very impressive, definitely befitting a king, and you scream his name, hips bucking up against him as he fills you. “Oh fuck, you feel so damn good...you’re so tight after coming so much last night.” He makes a circling motion with his hips, dragging his erection over your inner walls deliciously, and you wail his name, eyes closing against the pleasure. “Hey, what did I tell you?” he all but snarls, and then his hand is around your throat, not enough to cut your air off but enough to give you a warning. You shudder, gasping at how that feels, and your eyes open to lock on his again.

“That’s better,” Jonas groans as he bottoms out in you, holding himself there. “Keep those beautiful eyes on me, little flower.” Slowly, so slowly, he pulls almost all the way out of you, and the scrape of his cock along your inner walls makes you cry out. He pushes back inside, all the way, and your cry gets louder. He keeps that slow, steady pace, and your cries ring out in the plane.

He feels...you can’t even describe how he feels. And the fact that you have to hold his gaze? It is intense, and intimate even with all your other men around. You tremble under his gaze, and when his hips meet yours and his groin rubs against your folds, dragging his tip inside you....you wail his name, and your arms go up, hands gripping his on the back of the seat. You can feel yourself dripping around him, and your inner walls quiver around him as he spreads you wide.

You feel someone, you don’t know who, behind you, wrapping your hair around their hands, as Papa and Johannes continue to suckle on your breasts. Henrik kneels next to you, licks his thumb, and presses it on your clit ... and your wails become a high-pitched keen.

Jonas groans and growls as he watches the others work you. He keeps his same pace, slowly sinking into you and rolling against your folds, then dragging himself out. He watches Johannes’s talented tongue flicking your nipple, Henrik rubbing your clit. Air holds your hair and suddenly pulls back gently, keeping your head firmly against the back of the seat and your eyes on Jonas’s own.

You feel so open, so exposed, so raw. The eye contact with Jonas is electric. Your legs, still draped over the armrests of your seat, start to shake as Jonas increases his pace, and Henrik matches it.

Papa wants to say something, something gently teasing and very sexy, but he refrains. He can see how affected you are by the eye contact, by the little bubble that you and Jonas are in. He does make a soft sound at how beautiful you are together. 

“Kiss me, Jonas, please!” you beg, your words almost a wail again as Henrik’s finger rolls over your clit.

Jonas leans in close to you, the strokes of his cock getting shorter so he can maintain his pace. “Are you ready to come?” 

You focus on Henrik’s fingers and you know your orgasm is going to hit you like a freight train, and soon. “Yes, so ready, so ready,” you gasp. “Please, please, please...” 

Jonas licks your lower lip, murmurs, “I want to swallow your screams, little flower.” He kisses you and just a few seconds later, your orgasm rolls through you, and he does, indeed, swallow your screams.

Jonas gasps, hips stuttering into yours, and he roars into your mouth as he comes, filling you up and spilling out a little. His legs shake a bit, and he slips out of you as he takes a knee. His forehead presses into your neck as you both come down from your amazing high. He smiles, and presses a kiss to your neck, unwilling to move away from you just yet.  
You bring your hands down to his head, stroking him as you shake uncontrollably, tears streaming down your cheeks. Air rains kisses on your forehead, down the side of your neck as Papa, Johannes, and Henrik all stroke and kiss you wherever they are.

Jonas laughs softly and raises his head, smiling to you and caressing your face. “You are...beyond words, my flower...” He kisses you softly, lovingly, fingers caressing your face and wiping your tears away. “Are you all right, lovely?” he asks in between kisses. 

Papa chuckles. “She’s all right. She tears up with particularly good orgasms.”

“Oh Jonas,” you say softly, “that was... “ You shake your head, unable to say anything more, and you reach out with both hands, seeking contact with the other men.

He smiles, pressing a kiss to the corner of your mouth as Johannes and Papa take your hands. “I hope that makes up for our first time...” But then he chuckles, low and still a little raspy. “But after that I don’t think I ever want to stop making it up to you. Just wait until we get to a bed.” You shiver at his tone, turning your head and kissing him again, sighing into his lips as Johannes and Papa kiss your hands and wrists.

After a few minutes, you start coming back to yourself and you turn to Papa. “Who else?” 

Papa chuckles. “You speak very cryptically today, my pet. Who else what?” 

“Who else might be getting their mile high club membership today? You said I wasn’t the only one...”

Papa looks around. “Who hasn’t fucked on a plane before?” Everyone looks at each other, then only Earth and Water raise their hands. 

You blink. “I’m not surprised by Earth—no offense, baby, I know you’re shy—but Water?” 

He blushes faintly. “I-It’s not that I don’t want to. But I don’t like flying, and I get airsick...” Now that he mentions it, he does look faintly green.

“Oh no, I’m sorry, Water, why don’t you take something? They have pills for that,” you say almost dreamily as you reach for Earth. You are still feeling like you need a distraction, something to keep you from thinking about that voice, and what it could mean.

“Well, the only issue is, normal pills for humans don’t work very well for demons...I normally just try to sleep it off...But I’m all right.” He smiles to you and gives you a soft kiss. “I’ll take you once we get back.” 

You hum into his lips, then look for Earth, who’s sliding over to you. He wraps his arms around your neck and buries his face into your skin softly. “You okay, Earth?”

He nods as he inhales your scent. “Yes, I just... Well. Well. I just need to....reassure myself that you’re here with us. It’s...well. It helps. What can I say?” He looks at you, shy and embarrassed, and your heart swells with love for him.

“Oh Earth,” you sigh happily. You cup his cheek, pressing a kiss to the little ghoul’s forehead. “I’m here, baby, and I swear I’ll never voluntarily leave you all again.” You kiss him, gently, then smile to him. “If you’d rather not have sex right now we don’t have to. I’m more than happy just cuddling you and talking.” You aren’t even lying to yourself—talking with Earth is something you love to do.

Earth has been hanging out with Johannes too long, you think, because his smile looks fairly wicked, and that’s not an expression you’re used to seeing on Earth. “I never said...well. I never said I didn’t want to have sex,” he whispers in your ear.

You blink at him, then shiver at his tone and his lips brushing the shell of your ear. You’re not sure you have any words after seeing a Johannes grin on little Earth, and so you simply kiss the little ghoul, tugging on his clothes.

He deepens the kiss and cups one of your breasts, squeezing hard, making you moan. Papa must be reading your mind because he looks over at Johannes and says with a chuckle, “I do believe you’ve been a good influence on our Earth here, my wolf.”

Johannes beams. “I’m proud of my little dude. He’s already much more confident.” Your fingers finally get his shirt off and your hands run eagerly over his shoulders. His skin always feels so damn good against yours, so warm and soft...you kiss him hard, nipping at his bottom lip softly.

He returns the favor, nipping your lip before trailing kisses and little bites down your chin and neck, marking a path to your breast, where he sighs into you and takes your hard nipple into his mouth. You gasp, and lean your head back as far as you can. “Someone kiss me, please,” you moan as Earth’s tongue laves your nipple.

Tim moves in, growling his arousal, and kisses you deeply. You whimper into his lips as his tongue slides against yours, and you shudder as you arch into Earth’s increasingly talented mouth. One of your hands slides into Tim’s beautiful hair, and the other stays on Earth’s head, gently holding him to you.

Earth kisses his way over to your other breast to give it the same attention he lavished on the first, while Tim shifts his focus to your neck, sucking marks into your skin, and Air takes his place at your lips, plunging his tongue into your mouth in a deep kiss and swallowing your cry of surprise.

Earth moans as your nipple hardens in his mouth, and Air reaches a hand down to fondle the breast Earth just left. You writhe in your seat, body on sensory overload, and you can’t stop whimpering and gasping into Air’s mouth. Special nudges Johannes and grins. “She wants a distraction. You think this is a good time for what we discussed last night?”

Johannes laughs. “Which part? As I recall, we had more than one idea come out of that discussion, my demon dude.”

Special blinks at him. “...I do not believe I have ever been called dude before I met you.” He pauses, digesting that, then shakes himself and leans up to murmur, “The ass eating.”

Papa sidles over, smirking. “What are you two plotting over here, and can I join in?”

Johannes hums. “Oh most definitely...we can take turns...” The three of them put their heads together, Johannes draping his arms over their shoulders to create a huddle as they plot. 

You don’t notice... Earth, Tim, and Air have your full attention...but Fire nudges Water with a smirk. “Look at those three up to no good.”

Water grins weakly, hand over his stomach. “That’s never a good thing.”

“What’s never a good thing?” Aether asks, coming over to sit next to Water. 

Fire points to the huddled men, still smirking. “That.” 

Aether snorts, grinning. “Our darling girl is really in for it. I cannot wait to see.”

The three conspirators laugh loudly, which snags your attention. “What are they doing?” you mumble against Air’s mouth. “What’s so...funny?” You gasp as he pinches your nipple.

“I have no idea, little one, but from the looks of things, you’ll be finding out. My dear Earth, if you are intending to fuck her, you might want to get started before the three musketeers over there head this way.” Air lets his hand slide downward, seeking your clit.

Earth blinks over to them, then hurriedly starts undoing his pants. You shiver as Tim growls into your ear, “I for one cannot wait to see what they come up with...” 

“I-I’m not sure I want to,” you exclaim into Air’s mouth.

Air chuckles. “Oh, precious, why not? Live dangerously.” 

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve done nothing but live dangerously for quite some time now,” you say, before gasping as Earth presses his cock against your entrance.

You whimper, coherent thought flying out the window as he slips inside you, stretching you even wider than Jonas did. Your nails leave pink lines over Earth’s back, and he groans into your chest, forehead pressing into your collarbone. “Earth, love, you feel so good...”

He doesn’t move for several long moments, and you finally ask, “Baby, are you ok?” 

He nods into you. “I’m ... all right. Need a...a minute, or...or I’m gonna come too soon. Moonlight...you feel like moonlight...”

Your heart warms, and you touch his cheek gently. “Earth...you say the most beautiful things...half the time I don’t feel like I deserve such poetry...” You quickly kiss him before he can protest your words. 

Air and Tim frown. “Of course you—” Tim starts, but you press a finger to his lips, and you get the jump on Air as you slap a hand over his mouth.

“Not poetry,” Earth groans. “It’s...it’s how you are...” He lifts his head and the look of desperation in his gaze wrenches your heart. “Gotta move...please be ready...” 

You remember well how he’s fucked you before and you nod. “I’m ready, Earth, just...take me...” His rough shout as his hips begin to piston is startlingly loud, matched only by your cry as he pounds into you.

You hang on for dear life as he fucks you senseless, your arms and legs wrapping around him as you cry into his ear. Tim’s eyes widen at Earth’s almost brutal strokes, not having expected this from the shy little ghoul.

“This little guy is a fucking machine,” Tim says quietly to Air in awe, now that your hands are otherwise occupied. 

“Yes,” Air responds as he strokes himself through his pants. “He’s fast and furious...it’s part of why he’s shy, he thinks he’s too much, too overwhelming, too everything, and women don’t want him or don’t like him, or are afraid of him...we’ve been trying to get him to overcome it, but nothing’s really worked...until she arrived...”

Tim frowns. “He thinks women don’t like that? Poor kid...he’s a little sweetheart, women should be falling over themselves for him.” You don’t hear their words, you don’t hear anything over the pounding of your heart and the sounds of your bodies coming together.

“That’s just it ... they do.” Air chuckles. “Sisters of sin want him so bad they’d camp outside his rooms if they thought it would help...but he doesn’t believe it. Thinks every one of them is just being nice, trying not to hurt his feelings... But he believes her.”

Tim smiles faintly. “Well, she is good at bringing out the best in people. Maybe his confidence will raise in time...though I have a feeling he’s a bit ruined for other women.” He rubs his mustache with a chuckle. “I think we all are.”

Air sighs. “Yeah. I think you’re right.” 

Your cries get louder, more breathless, and you feel your orgasm building. “Don’t...stop...” you say, breathless, as Earth hits your g-spot square on, and you begin to scream. Papa, Special, and Johannes turn to watch as you fall apart around Earth and the ghoul howls as he erupts inside you.

You both come down slowly, and you feel yourself leaking around him. Your fingers caress his back, his shoulders, wherever you can reach. You murmur his name like a litany, pressing your cheek against his temple as he shudders against you.

It takes several minutes but finally your breathing is back to normal and Earth cups your chin and kisses you softly. “My moonlight,” he whispers against your cheek, and with that he pulls out of you with a low groan that’s echoed by everyone near enough to see his cum leaking out of you.

You shudder at feeling him pull out, and you smile to him softly as he rests his head on your chest. You press a fond kiss to the little ghoul, and he beams tiredly up at you before moving away on shaky legs to get dressed. Almost immediately you look at Papa, Johannes, and Special, suspicion in your gaze as you see them huddling together.

You try to move your legs down from where they’ve been draped over the armrests and Special is suddenly there. “Here, precious, let me assist you.” He is so solicitous, if you weren’t already suspicious, you would be now. 

“What exactly are you—” 

The seat is suddenly reclined back and Special has you turned around, facing the seat back, so quickly you are almost disoriented. “Up you go, on hands and knees, precious,” Special commands. 

“Wait...what...” you stammer as he helps you get on all fours on the seat. 

“Shhh, precious, your mouth is going to be very busy very soon,” Special says almost soothingly, and you blush faintly. “Gentlemen, anyone wish to fuck her mouth? Papa, Johannes, and I have a plan to occupy her elsewhere.”

“Wait, w-what is going—mmph!” Tim wastes no time in shoving his cock into your mouth. His hips roll against your lips, and you are sufficiently distracted from whatever is going on behind you as you try to relax your throat. 

Papa grins wickedly and looks to Special and Johannes. “Well, who would like to go first? And does she need a quick wash? None of us were able to get showers this morning, it was too hectic.”

Johannes looks at you, watching as Tim wraps his hands in your hair and thrusts into your mouth. “I don’t need her to be clean...and honestly, we do this when she isn’t clean? She’ll be so red....damn.” He looks at the other two finally. “But I’m also a filthy bastard, so ...”

Papa shrugs, then motions toward your backside. “By all means then, I offer the first taste to you, my wolf. If that is all right with Special.”

Special grins and nods. “I have no problem with that. Go ahead.” He moves around to your front, watching Tim fuck your mouth. He isn’t about to miss how red you turn. You, meanwhile, are getting more worried by the second, so much so that you try to sit cross-legged on the seat-back.

Papa tsks. “Oh no, ghuleh, on your knees,” he says as he gives you a light swat on one ass cheek. “Tim, would you be so kind as to help me reposition our goddess? You’ve got a good grip on her hair...” Tim chuckles and pulls on your hair as Papa and Johannes both give you a push and spread your legs out a little. You manage to pull off Tim and yelp, “What are you going to do to me?” before Tim growls, “Now, now, little one, you’re not done,” and he forces your mouth back down on his cock.

You are already blushing as Tim’s cock enters your mouth again, and you squeeze your eyes shut, tense as they reposition you. All the others gather around, wondering what the three have in store for you, and can’t wait to take their turn with your mouth.

Johannes positions himself behind you and rubs your backside soothingly as you take Tim’s cock to the back of your throat over and over. “Be good, sweetness, swallow him down,” Johannes says. Tim grunts as he begins to come, and you do as Johannes commands. “Now, I’d tell you to relax, but that’s not really the point of this ... so you feel free to blush as hard as you can.” And he spreads your cheeks wide open and licks your hole.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you surrender...

Your head snaps up as you feel Johannes's tongue probe your back entrance, and you feel your face turn purple almost instantly. You pull off Tim’s cock with a loud yelp and push forward, falling off the front of the seat with a soft smack onto the carpet. Instantly you’re up and running for the plane’s bathroom, knowing there is a lock on the door. Special can’t help it—he bursts out laughing so hard he falls over.

Fire is up and grabbing you around the waist before you can reach the bathroom, doing his best to avoid your flailing arms and kicking legs. “Stop now, before you hurt yourself,” he says as he swings you around.

“But he...! That’s not...! He can’t...! No!” You squeak, trying in vain to get away from the ghoul who’s holding you fast. Special is still howling in laughter on the floor, Earth is sitting wide-eyed, blushing almost as bad as you are. 

Jonas is laughing as well, wiping away a tear of mirth. “Something tells me she doesn’t like it, Johannes.”

“I can’t imagine what makes you think that, my king,” Johannes says with a smirk as Fire brings you back over to the seat. “She might be saying no but her body...” He reaches between your legs, roughly, to overcome your resistance, and swipes his fingers through your folds, displaying to Jonas the puddle he’s collected. “Her body is screaming yes so hard it’s flooding her.”

The king laughs again, though it ends on an appreciative growl. “That is some embarrassment kink. No wonder you three were plotting this.” 

“Nononononono!” you gasp, trying so hard to sit down on the seat. Tears of shame prick your eyes as you still feel Johannes’s spit on your back hole, and you hate your body for reacting positively to this.

You struggle against Fire and Johannes but not long—Johannes wraps you up in his arms and holds you tight against him as you kneel on the seat, which is still reclined. “Sweetness, sweetness...there’s nothing wrong with this...you put your mouth on our cocks...why can’t we lick your tight little ass?”

“T-That is completely d-different!” you stammer, eyes squeezing shut, face staying red at his words. “Y-You don’t shit out of your cocks!” Your men collectively wince at the mental image that brings up, suddenly all thankful for their butts.

“But we do piss out of them, sweetness,” Johannes says, doing his level best not to laugh. 

“Well...well...” you sputter, trying to argue further, but Special, finally calm, sidles up next to you and puts his mouth next to your ear. 

“My precious, do you know what your wolf did to me last night? He used his tongue on my ass. Shoved it right inside me.” You whimper, your blush dark red, your fluids dripping down your thighs, and Special grins as he gathers some on his fingers, appreciating the slick texture. “It felt fucking amazing. We want you to know how good it feels...his long wet tongue fucking your ass ...you want to know…” He makes sure you’re watching as he brings his fingers to his mouth, sucking your come off them with a barely audible growl.

“B-But that’s...so gross...d-doesn’t it taste like...w-well, shit? I-I didn’t even get a chance to clean there!” 

Earth stands up, red-faced, and steps up next to Papa. Voice almost a whisper, the ghoul asks, “...Is it gross, Papa?” 

Papa blinks in surprise at the little ghoul, then grins slightly. “Why do you want to know? Would you like to taste her there too?” 

Earth blushes darker and looks down. “If...if she likes it, then that’s just another way to make her feel good.”

Papa grins, claps a hand on Earth’s shoulder. “An excellent point. To answer your question, though, I am sure there are some who believe it to be gross, but I am not one of them.”

Meanwhile, Johannes says to you, “Well, my darling, if you’d just recently shit, then it might....but you haven’t. And you didn’t have a chance to clean the rest of you either but you haven’t minded us licking and sucking and fucking your ‘dirty’ body. You want it ... but you’re afraid we will be grossed out....and I am telling you we are not.”

“But...but...” You are running out of arguments, and they know it. Gently, slowly, Johannes puts a large hand on your back and presses, and you lean forward at a snail’s pace. After what seems like an eternity, your upper half is lying down on the seat, and your lower half is in the air. You’re clutching the back of the seat with white knuckles as you feel Johannes’s hands smooth over your backside again. 

“That’s my girl,” Papa says, running a hand over your back softly. “Let Johannes do this...have we steered you wrong before?” You shake your head, almost beyond words. Special’s fingers return to your thigh, sliding up toward your slit, swirling around in the cum that’s seeping out of you. 

You blush hard, and say, “No more blowjobs?” 

“Mmmmm, not just yet, sweetness, I want you to concentrate on what I’m doing first,” Johannes says, his voice low and dark, teasing as he spreads your cheeks once more. He leans in and licks, circling your hole and wetting it thoroughly. Your face is brick red, and your whole body begins to flush; the other men watching make appreciative noises and your cunt drips more. He presses his tongue against your back entrance, not inserting it yet, then mutters, “Not so bad, is it?” as you press back.

This pleasure is...you’d learned that this spot is sensitive, though Papa and Johannes never spent this much time on the outside rim. But this is...you whine, shuddering, and press your face harder to the seat back, not wanting anyone to see you enjoying this. You are still grossed out, but you’re learning to just let them do what they want with you. And...it does feel amazing.

He licks and presses, licks and presses, and you fall into the rhythm, you feel hands on your breasts....and suddenly Johannes stuffs his tongue as deep into your hole as he can.

You scream, skin red partway down your back, and you can’t help but roll your hips back against his tongue. He is...his tongue is...inside...a few fresh tears fall onto the chair, unheeded as John squeezes and cups your breasts. Papa hunches down and murmurs in your ear, “That’s right, my love. He’s fucking your ass with his tongue. Does it feel good? Imagine what we could do now...one tongue in your ass, and another tongue on your clit...how does that sound, beautiful one?”

Your wail is long, loud, and wordless. “Use your words, ghuleh,” Papa says as John pinches your nipples. 

“It sounds filthy,” you say on a cry as Johannes’s tongue fucks your ass. 

“Well, that makes sense ... you being the sloppy girl you are,” Papa replies with a chuckle. He looks at Johannes. “Ok with you to resume blowjobs?” Johannes gives a thumbs up, and Papa says, “Who is next?”

Aether clears his throat before smirking down at you. “If no one else has any objections...” 

“Go ahead,” Special says as he plays with your clit, and Aether steps up. Your face is still buried in the chair cushion, so Aether fists his hand in your hair and pulls your head up. “Eyes on me, darling girl,” he says, voice low and raspy. You shudder, blushing darkly still as the ghoul taps your lips with his tip.

Your tongue slips out first, swirling around his tip, and Aether hisses, “Yes...”, rocking his hips as you slicken his cock head. “Open wider now,” he commands after a minute or so, and you obey. He slides his cock in, all the way to the back of your throat. He keeps his grip in your hair and begins to pump into your mouth, matching the rhythm Johannes is maintaining at your hole, and tears roll down your cheeks as you slide your tongue along Aether’s length.

Your eyes are locked on Aether’s as he fucks into your mouth. He feels so good against your tongue, and his taste and smell assault your senses in the best ways. Suddenly you scream into Aether’s cock as you feel Johannes’s middle finger sink into your pussy, index and ring fingers sliding along your clit and tangling with Special’s fingers. At this rate you aren’t going to last.

You rock back and forth between the two of them, moaning around Aether’s cock, pushing your ass into Johannes’s face. You feel wild, out of control, unstoppable.

Johannes suddenly pinches your clit, and you scream into Aether’s cock as your orgasm slams into you so hard it feels like you were punched in the gut. You pull off the ghoul so you can breathe to scream, writhing back against your wolf’s face, gushing around his and Special’s fingers, a mixture of Jonas’s, Earth’s, and your cum.

Aether grabs his cock and jerks off as your orgasm hits him, and he shouts as his cum sprays your face. The other ghouls shudder as well. Johannes pulls his tongue out of you and covers you with kisses. “I think you liked that, didn’t you, sweetness?”

Instead of answering him, you collapse, body shuddering, your blush not receding one bit as you try to breathe. Aether’s cum drips unheeded down your face, and he leans down, smoothing a hand over your hair and pressing a kiss to your forehead. Fire comes over with a washcloth, carefully wiping your face down. Papa chuckles, rubbing your back softly. “Are you okay, my pet? You survived your first ass-eating.”

You shake your head. “I...I don’t even know what my name is anymore.” A rumble of male laughter rolls through the space. “And...and I don’t think I’m ever going to stop blushing...but I’m...I’m ok...I think...”

Special chuckles softly as he licks you off his fingers. “You took that well. And your blush is adorable, my precious.” He kisses your cheek, then grins wickedly. “Are you ready for the next one?” And his fingers return to your slit once more.

You raise your head in alarm. “Wait, what?” But that’s as much as you get out before you feel Papa’s tongue lap over your hole.

Your voice is raspy from all the screaming, so your cries now aren’t very loud. You can’t help but push back into Papa’s face. Henrik steps up next to you, kneels down, and gently strokes your face. “Are you ready for me, little one? Because my god I’m ready for you.”

You shudder as Papa laves your hole, and you nod to the bassist, weakly raising your head and opening your mouth. Jonas, reclining on a nearby seat and sipping some wine, chuckles as he watches. Tim sits down next to his king, grinning. “What’s so funny, Jonas?” 

The king looks to his friend, and then back to you. “Her blush is just so charming. And I cannot believe how much she can take.” He shakes his head. “We are going to have to cut back on all this sex during her training.”

“To some extent, yes,” Aether said, tucking himself back into his pants and joining Tim and Jonas. “But sex is also how she takes in and distributes energy, which she’s going to have to work on, because she hasn’t learned to either take energy from others or distribute energy that isn’t hers. You know what they say about practice.”

Jonas frowns. “She uses sex?” He crosses his arms, watching as Papa licks your ass and Henrik slides into your mouth. “How can she use that in the middle of a battle? She must be able to use her energy outside of sex, or else I can’t see how useful it is. And don’t forget, she fed her energy to me when I was still...possessed.”

Aether pauses, considering. “All true. Quite frankly, your majesty, she’s the first conduit any of us have ever dealt with. When we first met her, we didn’t even realize what she was, and once we did, we didn’t have a lot to go on. Satan has given us a lot of information about her, but a lot of what she can do—or not do—is a mystery.” He looks over at you. “Even to her.”

Jonas’s eyes soften. “To not know what you are capable of...that must be hard. But it does not seem to weigh on her overmuch, unless she is hiding it well.” 

Tim smiles faintly. “She is hiding a lot, I think. Mostly from herself, if I were to take a guess.” 

Jonas nods. “Agreed. And if she’s to know what she is capable of, that needs to stop, or else it will become a mental block.”

Aether looks thoughtful as he watches you with Henrik and Papa. “This alliance is going to be incredibly helpful in ways I don’t think any of us considered.” He finally looks at Jonas. “I think I’m beginning to understand why these rogue angels were trying to keep us all apart ... they must be incredibly pissed that we’re aligning despite their efforts.”

Jonas smiles, clapping Aether on the shoulder. Tim frowns. “I thought they were just using us to get to the Church. If I recall, the angel in you, sir, was the one who started the argument that broke off the alliance it proposed in the first place. Tactically speaking, it could have used that excuse to try to take your home down by force, Aether.”

“Yes....except that the conduit showed up, and threw everything off,” Aether says. “She was the unknown factor. She blundered in completely by accident...at least, it seemed like an accident at the time...” Aether closes his eyes, thinking back to that night. “You guys were shifted into wolves, we ghouls were....ghoulish....we were afraid she’d be hurt, so Fire knocked her out....we took her with us because we couldn’t let a human who’d seen us just wander off into the crowds. A day or two later, Johannes was trying to kill her ... things moved damn fast after that.”

Jonas frowns now, crossing his arms. “This angel must have realized something about her during our encounter. It must not have liked her randomly showing up. No wonder it kept asking her who sent her.” He looks at the ghoul with a raised eyebrow. “Did someone send her?” And a knowing gleam enters his eyes.

“It certainly wasn’t any of us, or Papa. Which leaves .... Satan.” Aether shakes his head, laughing ruefully. “Should have known.”

Tim sighs, rubbing his face. “Angels, Satan...I know we are shapeshifters, but that is a little beyond us...” He looks at his king with a half smile. “But since when do we ever do anything normal?” 

Jonas laughs and wraps his arm around Tim’s neck playfully. “Never!”

Henrik’s roar of pleasure and your mewls interrupt the wrestling match that was getting started. Aether shudders, feeling your latest orgasm, then he chuckles. “Well, as one of our fans told me during a meet and greet once, normal’s just a setting on the dryer.”

Tim smiles, then leans forward and asks the ghoul, “So, do you feel everything she does? Are you feeling a tongue on your ass right now?” 

Jonas snickers as he watches Special eagerly take Papa’s place, his obscenely long tongue slurping into your hole, and Johannes takes Henrik’s spot. “That could get awkward in meetings.”

“Not everything, no. Just her orgasms...that’s when she’s tapping in to the elemental energies most directly.” Aether smirks. “Although you really shouldn’t discount the feel of a good rim job.”

Jonas grins faintly, memories with Johannes rising to the surface. “Oh, I don’t, my friend.” 

Tim blinks, and he looks like he’s blushing just faintly behind his mustache. “I’ve uh, never had the pleasure.” 

Henrik comes over and sits down, a goofy smile on his face. “Can we keep her?”

Papa laughs as he joins the group. “Johannes said the same thing after our second evening with her. She has seemed... agreeable with our decision. And, as you can see, we are willing to share.”

Jonas strokes his beard. “She seems to enjoy being...shared. And it truly isn’t a problem with you, or any of the ghouls?”

“Why would it be a problem?” Papa asks, looking to the king with a raised brow. “She belongs to herself, not to any of us. Sure, Johannes and I had her first, but that does not mean shit. If she wants to find her pleasure with all of us, who are we to stop her?” 

Aether shakes his head. “What Papa is trying to say, is that we all care deeply for our goddess, and so it would be cruel to forbid any of us from loving her as she deserves, both to her and us. And now to all of you. If you all are worried you’re overstepping bounds, don’t be.” He smiles to the king. “You’re part of her family now too.”

Jonas sits forward and claps Aether on the back. “I have to say, I knew very little about your church and what you all believe, but I do like what I’ve heard. This alliance will be good for everyone.” His gaze shifts to you, and he watches as you pull off of Johannes, and he wipes your mouth with his thumb and kneels before you, whispering something in your ear that makes both of you smile before he gently tilts your head back by your hair and kisses you. “It has already done a lot for Johannes...it’s good to see. He’s....” Jonas’s voice shakes the tiniest bit. “He’s suffered.”

Tim squeezes Jonas’s shoulder. “He has, but it wasn’t your fault. Just remember that. He’s happy now, with her, and with Papa, and now...now we can all be happy together again.” His gaze darkens. “And we won’t let anything take that away from us ever again.”

“Tim is right,” Papa says. “We made a promise to each other and to our goddess. No one is getting hurt by any more angels.”

“Least of all that beautiful woman over there,” Jonas agrees as the men nod. 

You meanwhile are swaying on your hands and knees while Johannes kneels in front of you. “You amaze me, sweetness...look how beautiful you are.” He pushes the hair off your face. “You want to keep going? Fire and John will take you, but they can wait too if you want to rest.”

You look at him, hair sticking to your sweaty face, eyes half-lidding in exhaustion, lips swollen from giving so many blowjobs. The wolf can see your pulse-point jumping. “Johannes...” You reach out and cup his cheek, drawing him toward you for a soft kiss. You press your forehead to him and whisper, as if admitting something terrible, “I...I’m afraid of going to sleep. I’m...afraid of dreaming. S-So...so maybe I’ll have Fire and John later, okay?”

Johannes cups your face with both hands and stares deep into your eyes. “Whatever you want, sweetness. Whatever you need.” He rises up a bit, bringing you with him, so you are sitting up and back on your heels. Special strokes your back, and the two of them, along with John, envelop you in their arms. Fire comes back with more wet washcloths and passes them around, and all four men begin to gently wipe you clean, all the while murmuring sweet words in your ears. You melt into their care, wondering how you ever survived without these men before.

You lean your head against Johannes’s chest, listening to his heart beat. It’s...quicker than normal, and you realize that he must be scared for you. Your arms wrap around his waist, and you press a lingering kiss right above his heart. You want to reassure him, to tell him that you are okay…but you aren’t, and you don’t want to lie to him. So you hold him instead, trying to guard him against his own fear, as the three men guard you against yours.

The rest of the flight is a relaxed affair. Special dresses you with a snap of his fingers, and you lay your head on Johannes’s lap, keeping up a steady conversation with him and whichever other wolf or ghoul is sitting near you, and since they are all taking turns being close to you, the conversation wanders through all sorts of topics.

By the time you’re all buckling in for landing, your head is spinning. Every man there is extremely intelligent, and you have impressed yourself with how well you were able to keep up. You smile around to everyone, watching them interact, and your heart warms. It doesn’t matter what’s coming—your smile turns into a grin as you realize that whoever is speaking to you has no idea what they’re up against.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a new future is proposed...

Special had, of course, called ahead to let the Clergy know when you’d all be arriving. So waiting for you at the airport are enough cars to pick all of you up. Jonas, Papa, Johannes, Special, and you take the first one, and the rest of the men divide amongst the remaining vehicles. 

“It will be so good to get home,” you murmur as you buckle into your seat. Papa looks to you, and though he doesn’t say anything, his heart is full to bursting that you consider the church home now.

As you lean your head on Papa’s shoulder, a thought occurs to you. “Am I... Is it... I mean, I’m staying, right? And Johannes?” 

There’s the briefest, tiniest twitch of Papa’s left eyebrow. Should he say…? No, not yet. He wants to be alone with his loves to break his idea to them. “Of course,” Papa says, sounding convincingly confused. “I thought that was settled.” 

“Well, I just...I don’t have much but I would like to get my things from my apartment. But maybe you don’t want all my junk crowding up your rooms...”

Papa chuckles. “Is that what you think? Whatever is important to you, my love, you shall have. Although...if you wish I could always buy you all new things.” He pauses. “...You do not have pets, do you?” Special and Johannes wince, looking at each other. Any pets you had might be in trouble since you’ve been gone so long.

“No, my skeevy landlord didn’t allow it,” you say with a pout. “I thought about getting a cat and just hiding it if the landlord ever visited, but I couldn’t afford to take care of a pet properly anyway.” You think. “My plants are probably dead. But really, I just want my clothes, my books, and my music.”

Papa nods, taking your hand with a smile. “As you wish. Where is it you live again? We can make the trip tomorrow.” 

Johannes frowns. “Is that a good idea right now?”

Special taps his lips. “If we all go we can protect her just fine.” 

Papa frowns. “But if we all go we will cause a scene.”

“If I may make a suggestion?” Jonas says quietly. “Take John and Henrik. You’ve got protection and stealth skills between the two of them.” 

“But you should have your bodyguard with you, shouldn’t you?” you ask. 

“I’ll be at the church, little flower, which Papa assures me is highly protected. I think I’ll be fine in the time you’ll be away.”

Papa nods. “My thanks, your majesty. Very well—myself, Johannes, Henrik, and John will accompany you. Special, I need you at the church to start explaining what happened to Imperator.” 

Special sighs. “Every chance you get, you pawn her off on me.” He smiles to show he’s joking.

Papa smirks. “She likes you better than me, Special, you know it’s true.” 

“How do you figure? She yells at both of us.” 

“Yes, but she only yells at you when you anger her. She yells at me every time she sees me.” 

Special snickers. “We’ll have to make a proper study of that.”

Jonas leans over to Johannes and whispers, “Who are they talking about?” You, meanwhile, know who they’re talking about, and you’re trying so hard not to giggle.

“They’re talking about Sister Imperator,” Johannes answered. “I haven’t met her, and I’m hoping I never do. She sounds horrifying.”

You can’t help the snort of laughter that escapes, and suddenly everyone’s attention is on you. “W-What?” 

“I am just not sure why you’re laughing, my love,” Papa replies, frowning.

“Well, I was—am—a fan. I know Sister Imperator from the videos, and—” 

“You realize that the woman in the videos and on Twitter is not actually her, yes?”

You look startled. “Oh...well, up til recently I assumed she was just an actress playing a part...and now...” you look at Papa and Special, “I guess now I don’t know what I know.”

Papa sighs softly and pats your hand. “I’m sure you’ll be meeting her the day after tomorrow. They look vaguely similar, if that actress had ram’s horns and pitch-black eyes.”

Jonas frowns faintly, and Special just smiles serenely. “Hell has been a lot more peaceful since she’s been up here.”

“Oh, well, I’m sure we’re all so glad that Hell is more peaceful, it’s been a worry for all of us on this side of the dimension,” Papa said with a slight bite to his tone, but a smile on his lips.

Special frowns at Papa. “No need for that tone, brother. You know I try to take her heat off you.” 

“I know, I know,” Papa says, “I apologize for my tone ... she brings the worst out in me, I swear.” He sighs softly, then looks to you. “So, we’ll get your things tomorrow, pet, does that work for you?”

You nod at Papa. “Yes, that works. Thank you, love.” You smile—you can hardly wait to permanently move out of that shit hole they call an apartment.

Soon enough the cars pull up to the church, and everybody gets out, gathering up bags and belongings, ghouls helping guide the wolves as they stare at everything they see.

You smile at their open-mouthed awe. Well, John, Henrik, and Tim are in awe—Jonas is appreciative, but composed. You all enter the Church, and there are exclamations from the aforementioned men at the dark but beautiful decorations. A Sister of Sin is on hand and curtsies to the king and Papa. “Welcome to our Church, your majesty. Rooms for you and your men have already been prepared. If you’ll follow me?”

You start to follow with Jonas and the other wolves but Papa and Johannes both grab you. “What? I want to see where their rooms are,” you say. 

“Sweetness, you need a hot shower and some rest,” Johannes said. “We’ll see where everyone else is staying after you’re taken care of.”

You swallow hard but let them gently pull you along to Papa’s rooms. Your shoulders instantly relax as you take in the familiar surroundings, and the scent that is simply Papa makes you smile. Johannes helps you undress as Papa goes and starts up the water. You watch him as his hands divest you of your clothes, and every time you try to help he gently slaps your hands away. You content yourself with simply watching him, his deft fingers undoing your belt, the look on his face as more and more skin is revealed. He leans forward and presses a kiss to your stomach as he tugs your panties down your legs. “I-I’m okay not resting, Johannes,” you whisper, hoping your voice doesn’t shake.

He growls and nips your stomach, and you feel that familiar clench deep inside. “Shower first, sweetness.” He looks up at you, and the expression on his face is dark with lust. “Then...well, who knows what might happen.”

You swallow, feeling your core clenching around nothing as you put your hands on his shoulders. “I-I...t-that’s not quite what I meant...” 

“The water is perfect, my loves. Johannes, I thought you could strip her faster than that!” Papa says playfully, coming over. His deft fingers undo your bra and toss it aside, and you shiver as his lips press a kiss to your shoulder, his hair brushing along your neck.

Johannes chuckles. “Why, Papa, aren’t you the one always telling me to slow down? I’m just taking your advice.” 

“For the first time ever, I would think.” Both men gently tug you toward the bathroom.

You watch them talking with each other, laughing and happy, and you smile as Papa holds the shower door open for you. You step in, closing your eyes and turning your face up into the warm spray. You have to steel yourself—you can’t let your fear keep you from taking care of yourself. You sigh as you feel Johannes step up behind you, his fingers helping the water run through your hair.

“I feel stupid. I should be able to shower by myself but I don’t want to be alone ... that voice...” You shudder. 

Johannes kisses your shoulder. “No need to feel stupid, sweetness. And I’m pretty sure it’ll be a rare day that you will shower alone, voice or no voice.”

Papa chuckles. “Even if Johannes or I do not shower with you, I’m sure a ghoul would be more than happy to join you. Earth, for example.” He grins softly. “He has a fondness for cuddling in bubble baths.”

“Oh that sounds wonderful, actually,” you say, and as Johannes begins to wash your hair and Papa begins to wash your body, you let out a mewl of pleasure. “I missed this. Missed this shower, and missed you both so much.”

Papa smiles, though there’s a hint of sadness to it, gently scrubbing you down and rubbing what tense or sore muscles you have as he goes. “And we missed you, so much...please, my love, my precious goddess, don’t run away again...” His eyes are trained on your leg as he scrubs behind your knee. “We thought...that you wouldn’t want to be with us anymore if you...if you thought you were forcing it.”

You sigh. “And I didn’t want you to feel you had to be with me if none of it was real.” You can feel tears forming and you swallow, trying to keep them from falling. “I don’t want anyone to be with me if it’s not real.”

Papa sluices some soap off your leg and leans forward, pressing his forehead to your skin. “You never have to doubt that it’s real again, my love...” 

“I know, Papa...I know.” Your hand cards gently through his wet hair, and he sighs, relaxing for the first time since you ran away.

Johannes rubs your scalp. “And now you’re here...we’re both here...where we belong.” 

His words make you stop and think. “But are you staying here? For good? Doesn’t...shouldn’t....” You sigh. “You have Jonas back. And I guess I’m not sure what that means for you...for Avatar...”

Papa looks up at you and Johannes, and he smiles again. And this smile...there’s still sadness, but there’s also hope. “The rest of this tour, my loves, is my last.” There’s a beat of silence as both yours and Johannes’s hearts thud painfully. “Next year will be a new album, with a new Papa, and new ghouls. I am going to suggest to the Clergy, and to Satan, that for this alliance we set up a branch of the church in Avatar Country, and that I and my ghouls lead it. That way, the church can expand, I will still be useful, and we can...can all stay together.”

You are speechless. Johannes’s hands drop from your scalp to rest lightly on your shoulders. “I... Really?” Johannes sounds totally taken aback. “Did you.... Did you talk to my king about this?” 

Papa nods, focuses much more closely on scrubbing your calves than is necessary. “Last night, we talked quite a bit about many things. This included. He likes the idea...especially that you would return to Avatar Country, my wolf.”

“I really like this idea too,” you say, excitement and joy rising in you. “Oh, Papa, you’re a genius!” And you get on your knees and hug him so hard he nearly falls over. The dark pope laughs, arms tight around you, but he’s also looking up at his wolf, unsure about his reaction.

“My wolf?” is all Papa says, and you turn to look up at him as well. He is standing there, staring at the water swirling on the tile floor and... 

“Johannes?” you say quietly. “Are you all right?” 

He sinks down to his knees next to you and Papa, looking at Papa with an intensity you’ve never seen before. “Are you... Are you serious?” he whispers, and you see tears sliding down his face. 

“Of course,” Papa answers, cupping his face. “We still need approval from the Clergy but....yes. I am serious.”

Slowly, as if he thinks Papa will disappear if he moves any faster, Johannes draws the other man toward him. His arms wrap around Papa with a tenderness you’ve never seen before, and a large hand cups the back of Papa’s head. Tears still streaming down his face, he begins to whisper, and when you lean in you hear, “Thank you thank you thank you,” over and over. Papa’s eyes close, and a teary smile lifts the corners of his mouth as he returns the embrace.

The tears you were fighting before are falling freely now as you watch the two men, hands covering your mouth, thrilled for everything Papa’s words imply. And then suddenly, they’re grabbing you and bringing you into their embrace, and the three of you are kissing each other wherever you can reach, and Johannes can’t stop whispering “thank you” and you’re crying and laughing at the same time, and all Papa can say is “my loves, my loves”.

Once you all calm down (though you are still sandwiched between the two men), Papa pulls back with a beaming smile. “It’s going to be bliss, my loves. And no angels are going to stop us this time.” He kisses you soundly, then kisses Johannes, then stands up and offers you and his wolf a hand up. “Come, let us finish washing. The hot water never runs out, but we are frowned upon for wasting it.”

The rest of the shower is full of laughter and teasing—kissing and touching, petting and stroking—and by the time you’ve all rinsed off, Papa and Johannes are rock-hard and you are flushed with need. The two men wrap towels around their waists, then turn to you and begin to dry you off.

“I need you both...please...I love having everyone else around, but I’ve missed having you at the same time...” 

“And have us you shall, my love,” Papa rasps. He pulls you both into the bedroom, uncaring that you aren’t completely dry yet. He lays you down on his bed, on your side, and he tosses the lube at Johannes and lies down in front of you, kissing you breathless.

Johannes stands at the foot of the bed, just watching the two of you, and he can’t contain his smile. “So fucking beautiful,” he murmurs. 

You crook a finger at Johannes, and tear your lips away from Papa’s long enough to say, “What are you waiting for, my wolf? Come over here and love us.”

Johannes watches as you kiss Papa again, and both he and you hold out a hand to the wolf. He smiles and takes your hands, letting you both pull him between the two of you. Immediately you and Papa attack him with kisses, bathing his skin in love. No words are needed as the three of you love each other, and you cry out together when they both slip inside you.

This isn’t just sex, and it certainly isn’t fucking .... the three of you are making love, Papa in front of you, Johannes crowding you from behind, all three of you with arms and legs intertwined, so close that you can’t tell where you end and they begin.

As they move inside you, you watch them lean over your shoulder and kiss each other, and it’s tender and beautiful. Then Johannes turns your head and kisses you the same way, soft and tender and all-encompassing, and tears are rolling down your face at the beauty of it. 

Down the hall in his own room, Aether is the first to feel it, the energy of Papa, Johannes, and you, entwining and becoming brighter and brighter. He stares in awe in the direction of Papa’s rooms, his own tears rolling down his cheeks.

You kiss Papa, another soft, lingering, beautiful kiss that builds the energy higher, and one by one, the other ghouls feel it too, the connection, the iridescence, that is pulsing through you. Earth and Fire almost blink in to the three of you, so drawn by what they are sensing, but Special stops them. “I know it is calling to you, it’s calling all of us, but this moment is theirs. Share it from a distance.” And the three ghouls embrace each other, soon joined by the other three, and with laughter, a little wrestling, and a group hug, the ghouls celebrate the joy you, Papa, and Johannes have found.

“I love you both so much,” you gasp, breathless with pleasure. 

Papa is holding on to both of you as if his life depends on it, the look on his face so tender as he gazes at you and Johannes that it brings fresh tears to your eyes. “I never thought that I could feel like this...I never thought I’d feel anything but lust...oh, my goddess, thank you for changing that...” He laces his fingers with you and with Johannes, and his thrusts increase their pace. He’s getting close, so close.

Johannes holds Papa’s hand tightly and grips you even more tightly with his other hand as he thrusts deeply inside you. “Forever,” he whispers. “Love you...both...forever...”

You cry out at their words, and Papa slips a hand between you and rubs over your sopping clit. “You need to come, my love, you...you need to come...” You press your forehead to Papa’s shoulder and scream as you do almost instantly. You explode, and so do Papa and Johannes, and your energy is like a beacon. Even the non-sensitive in the building look up in confusion as they feel...something.

You sob as you shudder through your orgasm, and Papa continues rubbing your clit, making your high last as you feel both of them shoot jets of hot cum inside you. They hold themselves deep within you after their final thrusts, and your inner walls quiver around them, your legs shake in between theirs, your arms tremble as they wrap around your wolf and your dark pope.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which alpha meets alpha...

You all come down slowly, and for a long time the only sounds are your gasping breaths. You lay together, limbs tangled, unwilling to pull away or stop touching at all. Papa presses his lips to your shoulder and closes his eyes, unmoving, one of his hands still laced with Johannes’s, the other buried in your hair. You feel your wolf press his face to your hair and just breathe you in, and his hold on you tightens ever so slightly. Eventually there comes a knock on the door, and Papa raises his head enough to call, “Enter!”

The door opens and a brother of sin steps in. “Papa, please forgive the intrusion...” and he stops as he takes in the three of you on the bed. 

`“Yes?” Papa says after a beat or two of silence. 

You blush, feeling the brother’s stare on you, but Johannes pinches your nipple and makes you gasp, which helps you feel a little less on display.

“Brother.” Papa’s tone becomes demanding, loud, and a little harsh, and the brother finally stops staring. “What do you need?”

The brother gulps audibly. “Sister Imperator wants to see you.” 

“Now?” 

“She said, ‘Tell that flamboyant mistake of a pope that I want to see him and all his ghouls and guests this instant.’” 

Papa rolls his eyes. “Thank you. And brother?”

“Yes?” 

“You need more training if the scene in here flusters you that badly. Get started on that.”

The brother gulps audibly again and bows to Papa, then flees, shutting the door again on his way out. 

You can’t help but laugh through your blush. “Maybe someday I’ll meet someone for the first time and I won’t be naked.” 

Papa chuckles and kisses your cheek. “That time is about to happen.” He sighs heavily. “Congratulations, you both are about to meet Sister Imperator.” 

You scowl. “I’m not going to take her shit. She called you a mistake! I mean, I can agree with the flamboyant part, but—” You cut off with a laugh as Papa hits you gently with a pillow. “Oh, it’s pillow fights now, is it?” you say. “I see how you are.” 

Johannes is smiling but he looks unsettled. “Maybe we should hold off on the teenage girl sleepover cliches til AFTER we’ve survived...I really was hoping to avoid this Imperator bi....person.”

You and Papa look at each other, and with a silent agreement you both whap Johannes upside the head with a pillow. The wolf yelps and falls backward, and you and Papa get off the bed. “Teenage girl sleepover cliches? I think not,” Papa says with a sniff as he pulls his pants on, though humor is sparkling in his eyes. 

“I’m insulted,” you say with a huff as you pull your bra on. You couldn’t face Johannes on the bed because the grin on your face was a dead giveaway.

“Oh, I’ll give you insulted,” Johannes growls, and in an instant he grabs you from behind, making you shriek, and throws you onto the bed, sitting on you and tickling you.

You shriek again, but this time in laughter, hands desperately trying to grab his and stop him from tickling you. Papa watches for a moment, a soft, blissful smile on his face, before clearing his throat loudly. “As much as I’d like to stay here all afternoon and watch the tickle torture, we really must go.”

Johannes reluctantly halts the tickling with a growly bite on your stomach. “But do we really? Can’t we just ... I don’t know... hide?” 

Papa snickers. “Well, you can try, my wolf, but I doubt that will get you anywhere. At least, not anywhere good.”

You shiver slightly at his bite on your stomach, but then images of Imperator dragging Johannes out of the room by his ear invade your mind and you snort, then burst out laughing. 

Papa blinks at you. “What is so funny, ghuleh?” 

You try to get your breathing under control, gasping out a “Nothing, nothing!”

“Hmmmm...” He shoots a quick glance at Johannes, who just barely nods, and then they are both pinning you down and tickling wherever they can reach.

Fifteen minutes later, you finally leave the room. Your face is bright red from laughing, and you can’t help the grin that’s curling your lips. The three of you walk down the hall, down the stairs, collecting ghouls and wolves on the way, and you come to a stop right outside Imperator’s office.

Special comes up behind you and as the office door opens, he whispers, “Better wipe that smile off your face. She’ll do her damnedest to wipe it off for you and make it hurt.” You shoot him a startled look, and he nods. 

“Well, don’t just stand there like mollycoddled numbskulls...get in here!” shouts a raspy, smoke-filled voice from the depths of the office. You grab Johannes’s hand and move forward, suddenly feeling as though there aren’t enough ghouls and wolves surrounding you.

Papa takes a deep breath and steps in. The room is dark, only a low light on the desk lighting up the face of the woman who spoke so harshly. What Papa had said in the car stands true: she looks much like the actress in the summoning videos, but gnarled, curled ram’s horns curve up from her forehead, and her eyes are pitch black, no whites at all. Papa bows, as do the ghouls, and Jonas and his men do the same. You, growing angrier by the second, do not.

Special, still behind you, nudges you, but you stand firm. Sister Imperator stares at you for a second, then looks at Papa. “So, Emeritus, you just waltz in here with whoever you wish, bringing in the unwashed riffraff of the world as if they’re royalty.” 

Papa clears his throat. “Well, this is His Royal Majesty, Jonas Jarlsby, of Avatar Country and his inner circle of royal advisors.” 

“He is NOT king HERE, Emeritus. And neither are you.”

“Someone certainly thinks she’s queen,” you mutter under your breath. The ghouls who hear you go pale under their masks, and Special full out slaps his forehead. Papa’s eyes widen as he turns his head to stare at you as if you’ve grown four extra heads and the arms to match. 

Jonas, meanwhile, is so far not impressed, crossing his arms and frowning at the woman. “If this is the warm welcome you give possible allies, Sister, it’s no wonder you are alone.”

Imperator looks down her nose at Jonas. “Unlike SOME people, I don’t have time for warm welcomes. I have WORK to do, while other people can just flitter about, postponing their duties to go chasing after,” and here she stares at you again and then looks away dismissively, “whoever they wish.” 

Papa swallows his anger. “Sister, we sought permission from—” 

“I know what you did. I know Satan sent you on your mission with their blessing. I know that the favored son got his way once again. I know all about everything.” 

“Except some damned manners,” you mutter again. Special practically elbows you in the gut, and even Johannes is tugging on your arm. 

Imperator ignores you. “Just know that the only reason I’m not kicking your entitled ass to Hell is the fact your reign here is almost up, and it would be a waste of my energy and time to deal with you the way I wish. And all your little guests here had better BEHAVE.” 

“Who the hell—” you start, but Special clamps his hand over your mouth. 

“Everything will be fine, Sister, you’ll have no need to fret,” Special said. “Will there be anything else?” 

She says nothing for a beat, then waves her hand dismissively. “Just go. Get ready to go back out and finish the tour. Oh, and Emeritus, take some time to teach that little chit of yours how to behave in front of her elders and betters before I snatch her bald.”

Your spine stiffens, your eyes widening. Your skin flushes in rage, and all the ghouls feel your energy turn white hot as your anger boils over. You push Special’s arm away from your mouth and stomp forward. Papa tries to stop you, but one look from you stops him in his tracks. You come to rest right in front of her desk, and your hands slam down on the wood with enough force to nearly crack it. “Now you listen to me, you crotchety, bitchy old goat! Insult me all the fuck you want, but these men in here? You leave your disgusting mouth off of them! I have NEVER seen anyone work harder than they do—especially Papa! Every minute on tour he was confirming last-minute details and changes, and making sure all the crew was all right! He made time for each and every fan who came to see him! Papa Emeritus the Third won you a fucking Grammy and really put Ghost on the fucking map, and this is how you treat him? Like some dirt you just swept under the rug?! Go fuck yourself with a crucifix! And the others! You speak down to an actual king, who wants to ally with you and help spread your influence even more? What kind of moron are you?!” 

As you speak, your energy burns hotter and hotter, and you don’t even notice the smoke starting to rise up from under your hands. The ghouls look at each other—Earth and Special look particularly terrified—and they wonder if they should stop this from happening.

Imperator puts one hand, then the other, on her desk and rises slowly to her feet, her height far more than what you expect, her glare focused intently on you. “I. Am. The moron. Who has been here since before conduits were even thought of and created so I will THANK. YOU. To keep a civil tongue in that impulsive, short-sighted, ill-tempered little head that rests on the neck that I should by all rights throttle you by.” 

“Go. Ahead. And. Try.” You hold her glare with one of your own, and the tension between the two of you is enough that every ghoul is on edge, and all the wolves are three seconds from shifting. “You will fucking fail.” 

“You are nothing but an ignorant, willful child who can’t control herself and doesn’t understand the first thing about what she is.” 

“And you are a foul, ungrateful, ugly old hag. But at least I will be able to learn about myself.”

All the men gasp. “Fucking Christ, sweetness...” Johannes whispers. 

Imperator snarls. “The power of the conduit is wasted on a nothing chit like you.”

“Maybe,” you say. “But I’m the nothing chit who has it. So you can die mad about it.” And you smile... a wild smile that looks a lot like a certain clown... 

Imperator looks you up and down, then grunts and sits down. “Get out of here. All of you.”

Without another word you turn and walk out. The others all look at each other, then at Imperator calmly scratching away at paperwork. She looks up, no hint of anger in her gaze or eyes, and she frowns. “Well?” They don’t wait—they scuttle out, nearly trying to fit two through the door. 

They catch up to you down the hall. Papa and Special each grab one of your arms and exclaim, “What the FUCK was that?!” 

“Are you trying to get killed?!” Air demands, heart still pounding.

You snort. “Her? Kill me? Hardly.” You look around, taking in the ghouls’ expressions of shock and awe. “What? She’s a bully. And trust me, I know from bullies. She’s not the first I’ve stood up to and she won’t be the last. I’m not going to let anyone talk to any of you that way. Fuck that running.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then Earth slowly steps forward and wraps his arms around you. There’s another moment of quiet, and then you hear him whisper, “That was amazing.” The other ghouls suddenly start cheering and clapping, and Fire and Water high-five you. Air sighs in exasperation, but he’s smiling, and Aether is chortling to the side.

The men from Avatar Country are looking a little bit worried still, and Jonas clears his throat and speaks up. “While I am impressed with your...gusto, are we sure you didn’t make things worse?”

“Well, if Imperator were going to kill her, she’d have done it the moment she called her an old goat,” Aether said through his laughter. “She’s a little sensitive about those horns...”

Special is smiling, though he still looks a little pale. “The secret about Imperator is this: she respects people who don’t just roll over when she starts on them. I mean, she won’t really act any friendlier, but she at least won’t...well, berate you until you cry either. I think that you’ve impressed her, my goddess. That probably will not do you any favors, but...well. We’ll see.” 

You blink, then snort. “Honestly I don’t care if I impressed her or not. She’s a bitch.” You turn and start walking back to Papa’s rooms, Earth keeping pace so he can still hug you, the rest of your men sighing and shaking their heads.

Jonas watches you go, then looks at his men. “That, my friends, is a true alpha queen.” He turns to Papa. “When she gains her confidence and takes her abilities in hand, she will be one of the most powerful creatures on this planet. She will rule wherever she ends up.” 

Papa stares after you. “You are not wrong, my friend. But I doubt that’s what she wants.” He claps Jonas’s back, gives Air a reassuring shoulder pat. “Let’s all go back to my rooms. After all that, I think we all need a few stiff drinks.”


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which your past informs your present...

Papa and the men from Avatar head back to the pope’s rooms, the ghouls rounding up some alcohol that Papa doesn’t have at his mini-bar, and when they get in they see you sitting on the bed with Earth, who’s cuddled into your side. Papa smiles at the scene—the little ghoul is petrified of Imperator. He hopes this will give him a shot of courage.

You look up and smile happily as you see your wolves entering with laughter and chatter and grins. Then you look at Papa, and you bite your lip. “I’m sorry, Papa, I know I should have kept my mouth shut, and I know you’re probably annoyed with me, but I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry if I get you in trouble.”

Papa laughs, coming over and lying next to you, propping his head on his fist. “My goddess, even if I do get in trouble—which I doubt—I have not seen Imperator get a tongue lashing like that since Satan was last angry at her. It was worth it.” He kisses your hand, eyes sparkling. “You were magnificent.”

You blush and smile. “Thank you.” 

Earth sits up. “Did you...ha. Did you see what she did to Sister’s desk?” Papa shakes his head. “She scorched it.”

“Wait, what?” you ask as Air blinks in. “I did what? No I didn’t.”

“You didn’t what?” Air asks as he sets two bottles of strong Irish whiskey on Papa’s coffee table. 

“Earth says I scorched Imperator’s desk, but I think he’s imagining that.” 

Air comes over to you and kisses you deeply. “No, he’s not. You scorched her desk.”

You kiss him back, then stare at him. “But...but I don’t know how to do that!” 

Aether chuckles as he blinks in with some bottles. “Darling girl, when will you learn? Strong emotions can make any number of things happen when there’s magic involved.”

“Papa, I have an excellent training idea...we’ll have Imperator get involved. She’ll have our goddess so pissed she’ll be throwing energy bombs by the end of the day,” Special says as he blinks in. 

“Bring her in and I’ll be throwing whatever you want within the hour,” you sass back. You laugh with everyone else, then look to Papa. “This is going to sound...well, odd, but...but I kind of would like to cut our rest short. After today we have eight days until we go back on tour. I want to be able to defend myself at least a little before then. So...could I start training tomorrow?” 

Papa blinks at you in surprise, but then nods. “If that is what you wish, then of course.” He sighs. “It is probably for the best anyway.” He looks a little rueful as he adds, “And this time I will try not to be so hard on you.”

Johannes pats his leg as he settles on the bed next to both of you. “We’ve got a little time...not so much pressure...you’ll be fine, love.” Then he shoots you a playful look. “And if you’re not, our goddess will scorch your ass, apparently.”

Papa laughs as Aether gets behind you on the bed, hugging you tightly. “I’m so proud of you, darling girl! I cannot wait to see how strong you become!” 

You blush faintly, but grin. “I’m kind of excited, I’m not going to lie. I love learning, and I never actually thought that magic was real, so...so this is going to be amazing!”

Special perches on the arm of the couch, where some of the wolves are sprawled. “It is amazing ... it won’t be easy though. It’s not like watching fake magicians on TV.” 

“Oh, that has been made clear to me,” you say, closing your eyes as Aether begins to gently rub your back.

You relax into the ghoul’s touch, sighing happily. Papa watches for a moment, then looks to Jonas. “So, your majesty, I think we need to go over what exactly we will say to the Clergy tomorrow.”

Jonas hums in agreement as he watches you melt into Aether’s hands while your own hands begin to absently stroke Earth’s leg and Papa’s hair. “I think we should focus hard on the fact that it would be expanding the reach of your church. That is, after all, one of your main goals, is it not?”

Papa nods. “It is indeed. To be the official church of a country is not a goal we have yet attained.” He leans in to your touch even as he asks, “What perks can we expect to look forward to?”

“Land, of course, where you’ll be able to have your church. Dual citizenship for all who decide to come there, as I am assuming you’ll want established brothers and sisters to go with you and help get things running. And, I think, a spot in the inner circle for you and some of your ghouls. Perhaps Aether and Special.” He strokes his beard thoughtfully. “What other requirements do you think?”

“I think the only other thing that would sweeten the pot is perhaps a trade deal. We do produce a few goods here, clothes, jewelry, and the like. We could trade for food and alcohol that your country produces. Would that be amenable?” He sits up, watching Jonas as he thinks it over.

The king eyes up his inner circle, and Tim, Henrik, John, and Johannes all nod almost imperceptibly. “I think that can be arranged. I have heard excellent things about Papastrello, after all.” He smiles.

Papa laughs softly. “It is a preference of many here. Excellent. And in return, of course, you will receive everything that a church such as ours has to offer. Religious services, advice, perhaps even information. We have our hand in many interests after all.”

Jonas nods. “I am sure we’ll find more benefits as we go along. Now I assume you realize,” he clears his throat, “that all who are natural-born citizens of Avatar Country are shapeshifters, wolves mostly.” 

Papa nods. “Of course. Would that pose problems, do you think?” 

“Not necessarily,” Jonas says as he downs a shot of whiskey. “But it is important that people who are relocating to our land know that, because should they ... intermingle ... with shapeshifters, they will likely have shapeshifter children.” He grins. “The shapeshifting gene is...quite dominant. In fact,” and now he looks at you sharply, “I am surprised, little flower, that you are so ... but I suppose you are on some sort of birth control.” 

You blush. “Oh...oh. No. No, I don’t... no.”

Fire blinks and speaks up. “You know, now that you mention it, sir, I don’t think any of us has seen her take or use anything.” 

“And no one has used condoms,” Aether says, frowning. Your blush is rapidly fading, leaving you pale, and you clam up. Your eyes lower to the bed, and your shoulders seem to shrink in on themselves. 

Papa frowns, worried about your reaction. “My love, no one will judge you if you cannot have children.” He takes your hand and kisses your knuckles.

“No, of course not,” you say quietly. After a beat, you pull your hand away from Papa, gently pull away from Earth, and get up from the bed. 

Papa and Johannes both sit up, and the other men in the room are alert as well. “Sweetness, what’s—” 

“Nothing.” You look around as if you’re searching for an escape route.

You start for the door, but Jonas is there in front of you, with Henrik. “What is wrong, my flower?” 

“N-Nothing, I just...I just need to take a walk, I—”

“Love, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Come now—” 

“No! Just...I can’t! I-I can’t think about...” You try to dodge around them, but they catch you easily, holding your struggling form. You suddenly open your mouth and scream, and they drop you, afraid that they hurt you, and you rush for the door. But Johannes is there, and he grabs you tightly, no plans on letting go of you anywhere in his mind.

“Sweetness,” Johannes says, “what is going on?”

You close your eyes. “Please let me go.” Your voice is trembling. 

“Nope. Not until you tell us what’s going on.”

“Nothing. Nothingnothingnothing.” You feel the panic rising in your throat. “Just let me go. Let me GO.”

Earth is suddenly in front of you, and gently cups your cheeks, a worried expression on his sweet face. “Please...I...we need to know what it is or...or we can’t make it better.” 

Tears spill over your cheeks. “I-I don’t think you can make this better, baby...” 

Papa comes up next to the stricken ghoul. “My goddess...please... You’re scaring us...”

“I’m sorry,” you say on a sob, “I don’t... I can’t...” 

“Yes you can,” Johannes whispers in your ear. “You can tell us... no matter what it is, you can tell us...”

Despite how hard you try to stop them, the memories come flooding back. You suddenly break away from Johannes, your tug strong enough to surprise him into letting go, and you sprint for the bathroom, slamming the door shut and promptly throwing up in the toilet. No one moves, shocked at the sudden extreme turn of events.

Jonas looks at Papa, his face stricken. “I...I didn’t know...that that was a loaded question...”

Papa claps Jonas’s shoulder. “None of us did, my friend. In fact,” Papa’s face looks just as stricken as Jonas’s, “I’m ashamed that we didn’t think to ask her about this before.”

Johannes watches as Special quietly approaches the bathroom door. “Well, yes, we do suck. But we’re guys, so there’s that...” 

Special knocks on the door, and when you don’t answer, he slowly enters. You’re sitting on the tile floor, leaning your head against the toilet, and crying. He gets a washcloth, runs it under cold water, and kneels next to you. “Shhh, precious, shhh,” he whispers as he gently pulls you away from the toilet and starts wiping your face down. You lean against him. “You know you need to tell everyone what happened.” 

You look at him, surprise filtering through your pain. “How…?”

He smiles to you kindly. “Who do I serve? My Lord let me know.” 

You look down, sniffling. “I suppose They would know. I…I know I need to explain...But reliving it ... I can’t...”

Special tilts your head up, forces you to meet his eyes. “You just took on Sister Imperator and won. I think you can do anything...including reliving this. And we’re all here, and we all love you. That isn’t going to change.”

You look up at him, then shudder and just nod. He helps you stand up, and you both slowly walk out of the bathroom. You sit down on the bed, Special sitting next to you and holding your hands, and your watery smile to him is grateful. You snuffle, and begin. “Don’t...don’t stop me, or else I won’t start again.” You clear your throat, and Papa hands you a glass of water. You smile faintly to him and take a drink, then stare into the glass as you speak again. “I...told Papa and Johannes: I only recently realized that I’m a submissive. I’ve only had one top before you all, and he was...he didn’t do it for me, he did it for himself...” You hear growls of disapproval, but you don’t look up, just keep talking. “But I didn’t know any better, and I thought letting him have his way was being a good sub, so...” You take a deep breath. “Anyway. I ended up in the hospital—” 

“He beat you that badly?” Johannes stands. “I’ll kill him.” Papa looks ready to do the same, but he grabs Johannes and quiets him. 

“No. Umm. It was worse? He... he didn’t want me to get pregnant so he...well, he told me the pills he was giving me were supplements, but they were actually an infertility herb.”

There’s dead silence as you say that, and you close your eyes, not daring to look up to see the expressions on their faces. “I had an almost immediate reaction to them. I was...nearly catatonic, my fever was one hundred and six. Since it was an infertility drug I...I started hemorrhaging...they had to remove my uterus in order to save my life. I was in the hospital for two months…and he...he ran. I never saw him again after that first night I went to the hospital.” You pause, swallowing. “I-I never knew what it was that caused me to have such a bad reaction...but I think it might have been my conduit nature. It’s the only explanation I can think of…”

There’s a long, long moment of silence. You look up, and they’re all staring at you in horror. Then, slowly, every one of their faces darken, a murderous rage entering the eyes of Papa, Johannes, and Jonas. 

“Henrik. Earth. Please take our goddess to the kitchens and get her a treat. Whatever she wants,” Jonas says, barely controlled fury in his voice. 

Henrik nods, knowing they’re going to plot this person’s death. “Yes, my king.”

You start shaking your head. “No, don’t. I’m not a child, and you’re not going to treat me like one.” 

“Oh, so you want to be in on the plans to kill the infant who did this to you?” Jonas asks, eyebrow raised. “If you insist…” 

“Also no.” You look panicked. “NO. You’re not killing anyone. None of you. Hello, murder is illegal. I don’t want any of you to end up in jail over me!”

Special laughs. “Do you really think that any of us would be caught? I myself could appear in front of this...worm, make him have a heart attack without laying a finger on him, then leave with no one ever knowing I was there. They wouldn’t find his body for days. And that is just me—who knows what Johannes is capable of.” 

“He hurt you,” Earth says, tear tracks down his face. “He...he almost killed you. Even I want to hurt him!” 

“Besides,” Fire says, and points to Johannes. “Do you really think that anything is going to stop him at this point?” And then you really take in the look on the wolf’s face.

Your breath catches and for the briefest, tiniest moment, all you feel is pure fear—because all you see is the same terrifying face you first saw over the windowsill in this very room all those weeks ago...the same grin, the same crimson and black makeup...in that second he isn’t your wolf. He’s the clown, the nightmare, the assassin ... “Johannes...”

You look at Papa, and the darkness has coalesced around his head. “My love. You know that normally we would honor your wishes. But he...” The half-demon cups your cheek, and his hands are shaking, with rage or horror you’re not sure. “He hurt you so horribly...we cannot let this stand.”

You shake your head. “It’s ... I can’t let you...he’s not worth the effort.” 

“Oh, I beg to differ. It would be very little effort,” the clown says, “and so very much worth it.” 

You stare at Johannes, then slowly take in everyone in the room. “Well...well, it doesn’t matter anyway. I have no idea where he is now, obviously, and I refuse to tell you anything more about him, so you’ll...you’ll just have to leave him alone.” 

John laughs. “It’s damned cute how you keep forgetting who and what we are.”

“John. Get on finding him now. Get your spies on this.” John bows to his king's order and leaves the room, pulling his phone out. “Give him an hour.” 

“You can’t! Please, you—” 

Johannes whirls on you, voice incredulous as he all but snarls, “Stop defending him! He hurt you, he almost killed you!” His hands close over your shoulders. “And the cowardly piece of shit didn’t even stick around to see if you survived! No, no, you are not going to change my mind.” The crazed grin that splits his lips makes you pale. “And it’s not going to be fast.” His voice drops into a growl. “I am going to flay the skin from his dick.” You pale even further, and then run from the room.

In no time you find yourself in the garden and you walk, almost pacing. This...this is why you didn’t say anything before. Papa and Johannes had wanted to hurt your ex before...now they are plotting to torture and kill him....you don’t love him or even remotely care about him anymore, but to be party to his murder?

“You really don’t get a say on this, my flower.”

You turn to look at Jonas. “But...but you’re all planning on killing him!” 

He smiles faintly and comes over to you. “My precious, beautiful, innocent flower. You do remember who exactly your loves are, right? Johannes kept me safe before...before that angel turned him into a sadistic killing machine. Papa? Special? Your ghouls? They are all at least part demon. Have you really forgotten what they are capable of?”

You hug yourself, rubbing your arms. “N-n-no.” You pause and Jonas looks at you with eyebrow raised. “Ok, maybe a little? Sometimes?” He smiles. “But, Jonas, don’t you see, you all are creatures of power, but I am still human. Humans aren’t supposed to condone killing. I can’t just...be ok with this.” 

Jonas steps close to you, looking down into your eyes as he strokes your face with his long strong fingers. “And we can’t just be ok with what that beast did to you. You can’t ask us to—we would be going against OUR nature, don’t you see?”

You close your eyes, take a deep breath. Then, softly, you say, “I don’t want to know anything about it. I don’t want to know if you find him. I don’t want to know what you do to him when you do.”

“Fair enough,” he murmurs, and he kisses you, deeply, arms sliding around your back.

Your arms go around his shoulders, fingers tangling in his dreads as he pulls you in close to him, one hand sliding up to cup the back of your head, the other resting at the small of your back, the heat from both his hands burning into you. You don’t know how it’s possible for him to kiss you harder, deeper, but he does, and you whimper into his mouth.

Jonas groans, tongue tangling with yours before he pulls away, pressing his forehead to yours gently. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as addicting as you are...I could drown in you and die happy,” he whispers, hands coming up to caress your face. “And I will never be able to thank you enough, or apologize enough, for what you and I did...”

“Oh Jonas,” you sigh, leaning in to his caresses. “Seeing you, the real you, under your own influence, laughing with your men, is all the thanks I need. And,” you turn your head, kissing first one of his palms, then the other, “you really don’t need to apologize. We did what was necessary to save you. Given the choice, I’d do it again. Besides,” you smile a little, “in case you haven’t noticed, I...ahhh...I like it when y’all get rough...”

Jonas laughs, and his hand fists in your hair suddenly, pulling your head back and baring your throat to him. “Really? I hadn’t noticed, my flower...” His nose runs up your neck, scenting you, and he groans. “How can you always smell so good?” Then he sighs and lets you go, forehead pressing to yours once more. “But...that wasn’t what I meant. I’m sorry for everything that angel did. I know, I know, it wasn’t me, but...but it was my body. I saw how terrified you were of Johannes just now...and if that thing hadn’t sent him to kill you, you wouldn’t be scared...”

You shudder a little. “It was your body, but it wasn’t YOU. And that makes all the difference.” You tug on his dreads a little. “And honestly, that angel did us all a favor. Just think of everything that could have happened if it hadn’t sent Johannes here. The church would be under threat, at the very least, and I certainly wouldn’t have been able to help free you. Ultimately, it was all worth it. And Johannes doesn’t really scare me ... it’s the memory from that night ...” You shudder a little again. “Maybe someday even that won’t bother me...”

He smiles very faintly at your little tug, but then frowns again. “You ran from him, though. You didn’t see the way his face fell as the door shut behind you.” He tugs on some of your own hair. “He thinks you’re still scared of him, my flower, not the memory.”

You close your eyes. “Oh. Oh no,” you breathe. “I didn’t... dammit. I was upset about reliving what happened to me, and you all planning my ex’s imminent demise, and that dick flaying comment was a REALLY uncomfortable visual ... I didn’t think about how Johannes would take it... oh gods.” You open your eyes, feeling panicked as you stare at Jonas. “I have to get back to him.”

Jonas nods, then grins faintly. “How about a ride?” And he shifts into the biggest lion you’ve ever seen. His fur was gold and silky soft, all but glittering in the sunlight, and he was more than big enough for you to ride. He lowers himself for you to get on, and you swing a leg over his shoulder and sit, curling your hands into his mane to hang on. You can’t help but let out a soft yelp as he moves into a run, and you simply concentrate on hanging on as he rushes through the halls and back to Papa’s bedroom in record time.

“Add that to the list of things I never thought I’d ever do,” you say breathlessly as you slide off the gold lion and embrace him. “You are all so beautiful in your shifted forms. You never fail to take my breath away.”

The lion bares his teeth in a fanged grin and licks your face, making you laugh, and then he shifts back and pats you on the butt. “Go on. Go and talk with him alone. You both need to work this out once and for all.”

“Yes sir,” you say with a little salute, and he pats your butt again, a little harder. 

“Such a little brat,” he says with a chuckle as he follows you into Papa’s rooms. You are immediately surrounded by ghouls and wolves, all trying to reassure you and themselves that everyone is all right, so it takes you a few minutes to locate Johannes. 

Finally, you see him, standing off to the side, head bowed, with Papa, who is speaking to him intently. As you approach them, you hear Papa say, “See? Here she is, just as I said. Your fears are unfounded, my wolf. And if these fears are unfounded, the rest are too.” He kisses Johannes, stroking his hair as he does so, and watching their lips cling to each other makes your core clench a little. Papa turns to you when you reach them. “Are you all right, my goddess?”

You swallow, but nod. “I... It’s so hard to relive it. I’m sorry I worried you. I wasn’t...I wasn’t going to run away again, I just...needed to be alone a moment.” Gently, you put your hand on Johannes’s arm. You feel his muscle jump as if he wants to pull away, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t look at you either, though. “Johannes?” You take his hand and tug gently. “Come on. Let’s...let’s go talk, okay?”

Papa nudges him. “I am not about to lose either one of you, not now, so you had better go with her, my wolf.” He winks at you. “Listen to her, and believe her.”

Slowly, he nods, and he turns with you as you lead him out the door. You take him back to the gardens, to Papa’s vine wall to give you some privacy. You look at him, reaching up and pushing the curtain of his hair back from his face. “My wolf...please, say something,” you whisper, worried.

He swallows. “I’m ashamed every time you look at me like ... like I’m a monster.” He finally looks at you. “Not because you are afraid of me, but because I ... part of me revels in being a monster even though you are afraid of me.” 

You grab his face, staring deep into his eyes. “My wolf, if you never hear another word I say, I want you to hear me now: I. Am. Not. Afraid. Of. You. Not now. Not ever.” 

“You looked afraid.” 

You sigh. “I defy anyone to see you in full clown mode and NOT look a little fearful. And let’s be fair—you said you were going to flay my ex’s penis. That’s ...those are unnerving words to hear even under the best of circumstances, my love.” You stroke his face. “Sometimes, like earlier, you become the clown, I see that makeup, and...and it triggers the memory of that night ... and THAT is what makes me afraid. But I am NOT afraid of YOU. I know that you will never hurt me, clown or no clown. I am not afraid of you.”

He looks to you, cups your cheek softly, and lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “...The flaying comment was a little much.” 

You smile faintly. “Just a little.” 

“I’m sorry, sweetness...just...” His jaw clenches, and his fingers twitch on your skin, though his touch stays gentle. “The thought of someone doing that to you...going through your recovery alone...betraying your trust like that...it makes me want to be very violent. And I am going to be very violent. But...but I won’t tell you about it when it’s done.”

“Good. I don’t want to know. I told Jonas that as well. I don’t even want to know if you find him. Just ... I don’t want to know.”

“You should have told Papa and me about what happened back when you first told us about this asshole.” 

“Oh, so you could lose your minds and go out on a revenge adventure that much sooner?” you say, nudging him teasingly. He gives you a look and you relent. “Honestly, I try not to think about what happened. It’s too...well, you saw my mini-meltdown. I was so sick...and the thought of never having children makes me so sad sometimes ... makes me feel like I’m not enough of a woman. And it can’t be changed, so .... what’s the point of talking about it and getting myself all upset?”

He watches you, then cups your cheek and leans down, kissing you deeply, thoroughly. You moan into his mouth, and when he pulls away you try to chase his lips. He smiles softly, fingers pulling you closer. “You are more than enough woman for me, sweetness. I understand your point, but...fuck, how could you have not wanted to get revenge yourself?”

You shrug. “I suppose I did, early on. But he was gone. And eventually, I realized I needed to focus all that energy on myself, on healing. That getting better and moving on was an even better revenge...one that I could actually achieve.” You smile sadly. “So that’s what I did. Or at least, that’s what I tried to do.”

He watches as you speak, stroking his fingers through your hair. “What if...do you think true closure will help? When John finds him...instead of us...well...” He clears his throat. “Would you want to confront him? To try to get answers? Maybe punch him in the face a little?”

You laugh a little. “You realize you are entirely too sweet and adorable sometimes, right?”

“Me? Sweet and adorable? You must have me confused with Earth.” You both laugh, then he says, “Seriously. Maybe it would help you to...confront him.” 

You focus on the buttons of his shirt. “It won’t change anything. I’ll still be damaged goods.”

He’s silent for a moment, and then, softly he takes your hands. You look into his eyes and he smiles and murmurs, “Kintsugi.” 

You blink. “What’s that?” 

“Well, one day I was really bored, with no missions, and I was surfing random articles on Wikipedia. I came across one for kintsugi. It’s a Japanese art—they take a broken ceramic cup or plate, and glue it back together. But instead of using regular glue or whatever...they use gold. They don’t try to hide the cracks, they make the whole piece more beautiful because of its imperfections.” He cups your cheek. “You and I may be damaged goods, yes...but you, me, and Papa...we’re fixing our own cracks up with love, instead of gold.” Then he looks embarrassed. “Fuck, that was sappy as shit.”

You can’t help it, you burst out crying. Through your tears, you say, “It was beautiful. You’re beautiful. I love you so much.” You pull him down to you and into a kiss full of every emotion you have within you.

He kisses you back, arms wrapping around you as if he could protect you from the world. In that moment, everything is perfect, and you feel whole and beautiful. He pulls back after a few moments, thumb tracing your bottom lip. “You look so good with your lips swollen. So what do you say? Instead of us killing him, confront the asshole. Get the answers you deserve.” He grins. “I promise, I’ll only make him piss himself a little.”

You giggle. “You’re so bad!” Then you shrug. “I’ll think about it. I may still say no...but I’ll think about it. OK?” 

Johannes nods. “OK. Then I reserve the right to be very violent.” 

You nod back. “Sounds fair to me.” His thumb is still tracing your bottom lip. “Is it still swollen?” 

His gaze turns dark. “Not nearly swollen enough.”

You shiver, and your tongue flicks out to slide teasingly against his thumb. “Maybe you should do something to change that.” 

“Oh, sweetness, you really like playing with fire, don’t you?” He growls and nips at your neck, right above your pulse.

“I’m just taking your advice, my love.” 

“Oh yeah? And which advice is that?” he says, his voice getting lower.

You put your lips right next to his ear and whisper, “Let it burn.”

The growl he emits is from deep in his chest, and you suddenly find yourself slammed against the wall. “You want to burn? I can make that happen...” His lips devour yours, and his hands suddenly rip your t-shirt right down the middle. You cry out into his mouth, too aroused to care at the loss of one of your few shirts, and your nails leave red lines over his shoulders.

He shoves the cups of your bra down, bends his head and laves each areola, biting each hardening nipple and making you cry out, his name like a prayer on your lips. Your fingers fumble as they yank at his shirt buttons, trying to unfasten them without ripping them off.

He doesn’t have the patience you do, however, and his own hands rip his shirt open. Buttons go flying as his smooth chest is revealed, and you whimper, wondering how feeling his skin feels like the first time, every time. “Touch me, use your nails, bite me!” he snarls, and he presses your head to his neck. You groan and do as he asks, sinking your teeth into his neck, eliciting another deep growl from him.

You shove his shirt down his arms, then start sucking a mark into his neck as he jerks his shirt off and throws it aside. His hands cup your ass and lift, and you wrap your legs around his waist. He slams you against the wall again, grinding his pelvis into yours. “I want you inside me, dammit,” you moan into his ear.

“Now, sweetness,” he rumbles, a definite evil note in his voice, “that is not the tone I want to hear from you.” His hand slips between you and he roughly cups you through your pants. You cry out as the heel of his hand presses against your clit, but you grin to him. 

“I-I’m not going to give in that easily! Not this time!” 

The grin that curls over his mouth makes a shiver run down your spine. “Good.”

You drag your nails up his back, really digging in and leaving scratch marks, and he shouts, then you let one hand scratch down his arm as your hand goes to the back of his head and you yank on his hair, pulling his head back, baring his neck so you can bite him again.

You can feel how hard he is against your thigh, and he shouts again as you bite him. “Fuck yes, that’s the way, sweetness!” he cries, and he bites your own neck in return. The pain is intoxicating, and you cry out, shuddering against him, legs writhing around his waist.

You roll your hips against him, seeking friction. “I want you to fuck me, hard and fast, right now,” you demand, and your hands run across his chest, fingers finding his flat nipples and pinching hard. This time he roars, head thrown back.

His roar ends on a wild, breathy laugh. “Giving me orders, is it? Sweetness, you beg for me, not the other way around.” His palm presses harder into you, all but grinding your clit against the material of your panties.

His movements, his roars, his words...they are weaving a spell around you, one of heat and arousal and desire. Despite the beautiful blooms around you, he is all you can smell. All you can see and feel is him. All you know, all that makes any sense to you at this moment, is your wolf, and your need for him.

And, unbeknownst to you, the same is true of him. He is drunk on you, the only thing he wants is to drive your pleasure higher and higher. He needs you like air, like water...he doesn’t, can’t, wait for you to beg. He rips your jeans open, tears your panties away, and slams home into you. You scream, toes curling in the air. You are more than ready for him, but the roughness...and he doesn’t give you a chance to adjust, either. He plunges in and out, so fast and hard that you’re pretty sure your lower back is going to be bruised all to hell, but you don’t care.

His grip on your hips is bruising; his pace is punishing. Your legs tighten around him as he moves one hand enough to press on your clit, rubbing it as fast as he can. “You need to come, come with me, come now...” The orgasm takes your breath away—you open your mouth to scream but no sound comes out. Johannes’s roar is loud enough for both of you as he comes.

Johannes’s legs shake as you both come back down from the sky, and he sinks to the ground, panting hard into your neck. “F-Fuck...fuck, did I hurt you?” He cups your cheek, worried that he went too hard on you.

You cling to him, not sure you’ll ever be able to let him go. “I-I don’t think so...I don’t know...it doesn’t matter...” You laugh a little, breathless still. “I don’t even know who I am, I just know I belong to you...”

He smiles, pressing his forehead to yours. “And I belong to you, and to Papa. Who will probably be thrilled that we defiled his brooding spot.” 

You snort a laugh, beaming tiredly up to him. Gently he pulls out of you, eliciting a moan from you both at the movement, and he does up your jeans. He gives you his shirt, which you can hold closed at least, and then pauses. “...Avatar Country has an orphanage. If you...if you wanted to...to adopt, once all this is over and we’re living peacefully. You’re sure to get an instant yes since one of your loves is the king—” He cuts off with a yelp as you tackle him, tears of joy and kisses raining over his face. “So does that mean you like the idea?” he says, chuckling as he holds you close and looks down at you, smiling. 

“Yes, of course!” You bury your face in his chest, inhaling his scent. “I mean, I know it can’t happen right away, but just knowing it’s a possibility .... oh, oh, oh!”

Johannes’s heart is full to bursting with joy at the radiance on your face. He can’t help a grin himself. “Papa is good with kids, I’ve seen it. The ghouls will all be great with a kid too—especially Earth and Aether, I think. Jonas has always wanted kids, he visits—well, he used to anyway—the orphanage once a month with toys and candy...” His eyes go distant, a small, fond smile on his lips.

“It’ll be amazing...I can hardly wait!” You hug him tightly. “I know we have to though ... that whole ‘living peacefully’ thing you mentioned isn’t going to be easy with angels plotting against us.” 

Johannes rubs your back as he snugs you closer to him. “We’ll figure it out, sweetness. We’ll figure it all out.” He kisses you soundly. “Shall we go back to the others?” 

You nod happily. “Yes, yes!” Your stomach growls. “And shockingly, I’m hungry...” 

Johannes laughs. “I’ll take the blame for that, I suppose.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which hard truths get you in hot water...

Your wolf picks you up, kissing you soundly again, and strides through the vines. You beam up at him, not even caring that you’re wearing a ripped shirt, and Johannes gives no fucks at all to walking through the church halls shirtless. You’re both smiling and laughing as you walk through the door to Papa’s rooms, and everyone looks up, relief on their faces to see you happy again. He lets you down and you’re immediately set upon by Earth, the little ghoul snugging close to you. You laugh and kiss his forehead, then grin as Tim comes over and wraps his arms around you. 

“You’re incredible,” he whispers, making you blush faintly, but smile all the wider. 

“So are you,” you whisper back.

You look to Papa, who is positively beaming to see both of his loves looking happy. “You are both so beautiful...a little disheveled maybe,” he says with a smile as he takes in the torn shirt that you’re wearing, “but beautiful.” He kisses each of you soundly. “Dinner is coming here, will that suit?”

Your stomach rumbles, audible to everyone in the room, and they all laugh as you blush. “Your appetite is legendary,” Aether chortles.

“It has to be to keep up with the physical activity you all put me through.” You sniff, trying your best to look affronted, but playfulness and humor are coloring your tone and making your lips twitch. “Nonstop sex, saving all your asses, crying every ten minutes—it takes a lot out of a girl!”

“Well,” Fire says thoughtfully, a twinkle in his eye, “we can try to limit the ass-saving and the crying, but I happen to like the nonstop sex so....”

Every other man there chimes in with their agreement, and you’re laughing and blushing in no time. 

Jonas is looking around at everyone, laughing and talking and being genuinely happy. He can feel again...his eyes sting, and he has the desperate urge to be with his friends alone. He touches each of them on the shoulder and nods for the door. “Papa, once dinner is brought here, please summon us. I...” He takes a deep breath. “I need a moment.” 

“Of course,” Papa says with an understanding smile. “Take all the time you need.” 

Jonas nods and starts to turn for the door, then stops and looks at Johannes. “My friend...will you join us?”

Johannes looks at you, and you smile. “Go. I’m fine.” He kisses you. “Do you want your shirt back?” you ask as you move to shrug it off. 

“No, you wear it ... it looks good on you. And we can enjoy taking it off you later,” he says with a wink as he strides to his king.

Jonas smiles to him as they all exit the room and stride down the hall to Jonas’s. The room the church had given him is nearly as lavish as Papa’s, but the colors are a bit brighter. The door shuts, the king turns, tears are rolling down his face and he holds his arms out. “My friends...my friends...” Henrik, Tim, and John are immediately there, squeezing the breath out of the man, and Jonas has never felt so good.

Johannes hangs back and watches, still finding it hard to believe that Jonas is truly with them once again. He smiles at the scene before him. “This....this is so good to see,” he says quietly.

John looks over at Johannes and blinks, then grins. “What the fuck are you waiting for, an invitation?!” 

“Get your ass over here!” Tim says through his tears. 

Henrik beams at him, beyond words, and Jonas... Jonas smiles, his arms around his friends, but his smile is one of the saddest things Johannes has ever seen. “My friends, I cannot blame him if he does not want to join. Not after...not after all the things I’ve...my body, put him through.”

Johannes shakes his head, unable to speak, and he takes a step forward but Jonas says, “Wait.” He extricates himself from the group, patting each of them on the back or shoulder as he does, then slowly walks to Johannes. When he is less than an arm’s length away, he stops, waits a beat, strips off his shirt, then drops to his knees, head bowed. 

Johannes shakes his head. “No, no, my king, no, get up, don’t—”

“As your packmate, I have hurt you. As your friend and brother, I have wronged you. As your king...I have failed you. I deserve your derision, your anger, your scorn...and your punishment.” Johannes can’t stop shaking his head, whispering, “no”. Henrik, Tim, and John are all watching, tense. Jonas whispers, “Give me what I deserve, so I may work to earn back your trust and loyalty....and love.” 

Johannes swallows hard. He puts his hand on Jonas’s head and says, “I cannot punish you more than you punish yourself. You already have everything you think you lost.” His throat works, but he can’t finish the formal statement. He drops to his knees in front of Jonas. “My king,” he says, and he envelops him in a hug.

Jonas shudders, and his arms go around Johannes and hold him tightly. “I am so sorry, my friend...I am so s-sorry...” He buries his face into Johannes’s neck as the others come over and join in on the hug. They hear their king start whispering, “It was so dark in there...so dark and cold...at first I could see and hear everything. I...I heard you screaming, Johannes...I smelled your blood...and I couldn’t stop it, gods, I couldn’t do anything! And I...I retreated. The darkness became comforting...I was a coward unable to face what was happening...”

“If you were a coward, then I was too. I should have fought harder, but instead, I allowed myself to fall into the nightmare, become the nightmare. It was easier...” Johannes can’t keep the hot tears back any longer. 

“We all did,” Henrik murmurs. “We all did what was easiest, to survive, til we were able to get out.”

“I need to know...how many people did it send you to kill, Johannes? How did our Avatar Country change?” Jonas’s head remains on his friend’s shoulder, and he begins to shake harder, not wanting to know the answer.

Johannes grips Jonas tighter. “Too many, my king. Too many.” He shudders. “After a while, I stopped counting. It was...easier.”

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!” He wrenches away, kicking a chair and breaking it into pieces. “That fucking piece of shit angel!” He is so angry that he switches back into Swedish as he turns to Johannes. “Do you have lists? A ledger it kept, or you kept, of those you killed? I want to at least send something to their families...” Then he pauses, and looks at them. “I...I do not even know...how long have I been possessed?”

The other four wolves look at each other. “When we go back, we can search your offices,” John says, “see what the angel left behind there.” 

“Okay, Okay...but how long?” Jonas is starting to sound panicked. “How long was I possessed?” The other four debate silently ... should they say? “HOW LONG?” 

Johannes scrambles to his feet and grabs him before he breaks another chair. “Jonas...my king...it has been...decades...longer maybe...”

Henrik joins them. “It’s been a long time ... I don’t think any of us really know for sure.”

Jonas stares at them, then looks back into Johannes’s eyes. “W...What? Decades...?” Stunned tears roll once more down his cheeks, and his knees shake. “No...no, that...it can’t...”

Back in Papa’s rooms, you and your demon lovers are lounging on the bed, talking and kissing softly. Suddenly, Aether’s head shoots up. “Papa, Jonas’s energy—” 

“I feel it. Something’s wrong. Air, Earth, stay here with our love.” The rest of them are off the bed and out of the room in a shot. 

You gasp, about to follow, but Earth stops you. “You’ve been through enough, let them handle this.” 

Jonas, about to break, suddenly wrenches from Johannes’s grasp and rushes for the window. He opens it and leaps, turning into a raven in midair and shooting off as fast as he can. He can’t handle this information. Decades...his country was under that angel’s rule for decades...his beak opens and a piercing cry echoes over the land, mournful, despairing...

Papa bursts into the room, followed closely by the ghouls. “What’s wrong, what happened?” 

Henrik is already on the window ledge. “I’ll watch over him.” He shifts into his hawk form and with an ear-splitting cry he sets off after Jonas.

Papa looks to Johannes and the others. “...My wolf, what happened?” And his voice goes soft, soothing. 

John brushes his tears away. “The king wanted to know how long he was possessed...so we told him.”

“He’s not handling it well,” Tim says thickly, sitting down in a chair and putting his head in his hands. His shoulders shake as he begins to cry softly. 

Papa comes over, putting a hand on each of them before cupping Johannes’s cheeks. “He has been through...something extraordinarily horrific. He just needs time. If I know the man your king was, then he will come to terms, and he will have a plan to set things right.”

“Fucking christ I hope so,” Johannes says. “Maybe we shouldn’t have told him.” 

“He would have to know sooner or later,” Papa says soothingly. “You can’t hide things from him forever, that wouldn’t be fair to any of you.”

“Besides,” John said, wrapping an arm around Tim’s shoulders, “how can he fix anything if he doesn’t know what there is to fix?” 

“Good point,” Fire says with a frown. 

The door suddenly bursts open, and you’re standing there, poor Earth hanging off your leg and Air trying to pull back on your arm. “What happened?!” you gasp, panting hard.

Papa whirls around. “For the love of Satan, my goddess, I told you to stay where you were! And why are you dragging Earth around like a broken accessory?” 

“If you think...” you take a deep breath, “if ANY of you think I’m going to sit and wait around when one of you could be hurt or in danger, then you are out of your minds.” You look down. “Earth, baby, I love you but you can give it up now.”

Earth, nearly in tears from frustration, stands. “You--. I just--. You are--.” The others watch in shock as Earth seems to have had enough. He suddenly grabs your hand and drags you over to a chair. He sits, hauling you over his knees, and his hand comes down with a crack onto your ass. “When. Will. You. Learn. That. You. Are. Not. Trained. Yet?!” He punctuates each word with a spank. “You. Need. To. Let. Us. Keep. You. Safe!” You’re quivering in shock and pain over Earth’s lap, and everyone is staring at the little ghoul in surprise. Even Tim stops crying to stare.

Air goes over to Earth and puts a calming hand on his shoulder. “As much as I agree that she deserves the spanking, Earth, you shouldn’t do this when you’re upset.”

Earth looks up at Air. “But she doesn’t--. She keeps--.” He’s so flustered that he’s not speaking right. Air nods to him encouragingly, rubbing the little ghoul’s shoulder. “How can...how can we keep her...safe if she...keeps running headfirst into danger?!”

“Well, it does make for a more challenging task,” Papa says as he comes over and kneels down at your head. You are starting to struggle against Earth’s grip now that your initial shock has worn off. “Stop fighting, ghuleh, you’re only making it worse for yourself.” 

“No...I...won’t!” you grunt, and then you gasp as Air smacks your ass, hard, a resounding crack splitting through the room.

“I’ll have Air do that on your bare skin if you don’t stop,” Papa says calmly.

Earth uses a bit of his ghoul strength to pull you up for a moment, and you see the little ghoul is crying silently. Your heart sinks that you’ve made him feel like this. “You can’t...you almost died...a-and we couldn’t do anything to protect you! And yet...yet you keep disobeying us, w-when all we want is to keep you safe!” He shakes you, just a tiny bit. “Stop. Just...please, let us keep you safe!” And he pushes you back gently into Air and runs from the room, sobbing. 

There’s silence in the room for a beat, and John speaks up. “That little guy crying wrenches my heart and I don’t even know why.”

Air grips you tightly, not even working hard against your struggles. You open your mouth to speak but Papa quickly lays one gloved finger over your lips. “If you say one word right now, I will take over where Earth left off.” Your eyes widen and you stay silent. “Air, please take her back to my rooms. And if she says anything or tries to leave the room before we return, you have my express permission to begin her punishment immediately and with your discretion.”

Air nods, and he turns and marches you out the room and down the hall. You’re silent, and you’re at war with yourself. On the one hand, your independence and stubbornness are yelling at you not to take this shit. But on the other hand, you just made Earth sob...you wince as you get back into Papa’s rooms, and you, shockingly, sit down on Papa’s bed and remain silent. Air raises an eyebrow at you, not having expected obedience.

It seems like hours until everyone returns, but it really is only a short time. You scan the room: everyone is there but Jonas, Henrik, and Earth. Earth’s absence makes your heart twist painfully, even though you understand it, but the other two.... “Are Jonas and Henrik all right?”

Papa looks over to you. “We don’t know yet. They have not returned. I suspect they’ll do so on their own time. Henrik will not let anything happen to his king, do not worry.” He looks over at Johannes, who’s pacing by the window, and sighs, going over to the man. “Why don’t you check on Earth, my love? I don’t like the idea of him sobbing alone in his room. It will give you something to do until they return.”

“I should go too—” 

“You should stay right where you are for the moment,” Papa says, his voice quiet, controlled...intent. The other men are talking quietly, getting fresh drinks, and generally ignoring you. And even though you know why, you can’t help but get annoyed, and your mouth opens before your better sense can stop it. 

“So do I get to know what happened and what’s going on, or do I have to sit here and pretend to be an idiot to make you all happy?”

Air moves faster than any man his height should have any right to. You’re over his knees and your pants are around your ankles so fast that you don’t even realize at first that you’re staring at the floor. But then the first strike comes down on your bare cheek with a loud crack, and the sting of pain has you crying out. He hits you five times, hard, all in the same spot. Once he’s done, he growls at you, “Are you going to behave, or do you need five more?” 

Water comes over, wiping your tears away. “I know you think we’re being harsh, but my goddess...you don’t even understand what you do to us...and that’s not fair.”

“But keeping me in the dark about what happened and letting me sit and worry, that’s totally fair. All right then,” you say, angry and hurt enough that you don’t care that your mouth just wrote a check that your ass might not be able to cash.

Once again, Air moves faster than he should. You find yourself up against the wall, pinned by your hands, and he’s snarling in your face. “YOU. ARE. NOT. TRAINED. YET. Did you not hear anything that Earth said?! That angel, all he did was fucking drop you, and your ankle shattered. Shattered! If you had been trained, nothing would have happened to that ankle! What if he’d done something worse? What if there had been something horrible in Jonas’s room? Do you even fucking realize how much danger you’re in day-to-day with us?!” 

Fire pipes up. “We weren’t going to keep you in the dark, love. We were checking to make sure the room was clear before we sent for you. And we can’t always take the time to explain that—if you haven’t noticed, shit moves fast around here.” 

“That’s why, darling girl, you need to trust us to keep you safe,” Aether speaks gently. “Because the way you’ve been acting, stubbornly shoving your way into every situation...that says you don’t trust us.”

Your mouth opens, and Air’s hold on your wrists tightens painfully. “Think about what you’re going to say,” Air growls out. “Think. Hard.” You try to but all you hear in your head are Aether’s last words: “You don’t trust us.”

Your mind spins. You...you want to help them, but...Earth’s face swims in your mind, crying and angry with you. “You. Are. Not. Trained.” As you are now, in an actual fight...you’d just get in the way. Which means...that their job is tougher because they have to look out for you as well. If you just stay with the ghouls assigned to guard you, they won’t have to worry about keeping you alive in the middle of the fight. And you’ve been taking care of yourself for so long that... “You’re right, deep down...I don’t trust you.” That brings them up short. “But not for the reasons you think. I...I have been on my own for a long time. I’ve come to rely on just myself to get things done. It’s not that I don’t think you all are capable. I know how strong you are. I just...I’ve learned that I’d rather take care of problems myself, so I know they’re done right. And I...I can’t think that way with you all. Not with these kinds of problems. I’m so sorry.”

Air loosens his grip on you and the expression on his face relaxes just a bit. “That? Was a good answer.” 

Papa moves in close, nodding. “Yes, Air. While I don’t like to hear her say she doesn’t trust us, her reason is understandable. We can work with that.” He looks over his shoulder. “What do you think, Earth?” Papa moves aside to let you see Earth standing there, Johannes behind him, hand on his shoulder. 

“It’s...well. I understand.” He studies you carefully for a minute. “I’m still angry with you, but it’s... it’s from being scared.”

Your muscles tense as if to move, then you swallow and look to Papa and Air. “Could I go to him?” The two men look at each other and nod, and Air lets you go. You pull your pants back up and walk over to the small ghoul, get on your knees, and bury your face in his stomach. Your arms go around his hips, holding him tightly. “I’m so sorry, Earth, I’m so sorry...I hate making you cry...I promise I’ll work on getting better with this. I promise.”

Earth puts his hands on your head, caresses your cheeks, then says, “I know. And I...well. I have work to do too. I must... I have to get...tougher...in order to help take care of you better.” He smiles a little. “Not meaner. Just...tougher.”

“Earth, I love you the way you are. I don’t want you to change,” you say quietly.

He blinks down at you, and his own cheeks get a little pink. “You...you do? But I...well. I’m not confident at all...I couldn’t stop you from...from leaving...” His eyes close sadly. “Either time...”

“Neither could any of us, Earth,” Fire says gently, putting a hand on the smaller ghoul’s back. “You are you. The only thing you should change is to remember that people love you, you’re not inconveniencing anyone, and people want to do you much more than you realize,” he finishes with a cheeky grin. Earth’s blush deepens.

You bury your face in Earth’s stomach so no one sees you laugh...you’re still in trouble after all. Earth strokes your hair thoughtfully, then says, “Hunh. Well. I still think I need to be tougher...but. Well.” He looks at Fire. “They do?”

Fire laughs. “Are you kidding? At least half of the women I’ve taken to bed have asked about what you’re like. And probably a third of the men.” He ruffles the smaller ghoul’s hair. “They love you, brother, and they want what you got!” The other ghouls nod and cheer, and Earth blushes more, but he’s smiling as he does.

“That’s ... ha. Well. Ha.” He keeps stroking your hair as he thinks. “Well. It’s ... ha. Good to know.” He looks down at you. “I don’t need everyone though.” He looks up, catches the eye of everyone there, looks back at Johannes. “I just need the people in this room.”

Johannes blinks at Earth, but then he’s smiling softly. There’s a huge soft spot in the wolf’s heart for the shy ghoul, and he wants nothing more than to see him succeed. 

Earth’s words bring up a question you’ve been wondering for some time. You stand, looking around at everyone. “I...I know I’m not out of hot water yet, but...but there’s...something I need to know. Are...” You swallow, looking down and fiddling with the edges of the torn shirt you still had on. “Are none of you going to seek out other...partners?”

The men all look at each other, then Papa takes your hand. “Well, my ghuleh, we are all free to find our pleasure where we wish...should we wish to.” 

You keep looking down. “I...I see.” 

Papa and Johannes look at each other, communicating silently. “I can’t speak for anyone else here...but I know I don’t wish to,” Papa says quietly.

You look up at him. “I...are you sure? I don’t want to be selfish with any of you. If you want to keep having sex with others, it’s okay.”

Tim and John look at each other, then to you. “We haven’t really decided that yet. Been too much crazy shit happening,” Tim says with a grin. 

“For now we’re okay with just you. We’ll tell you if that changes,” John says kindly.

“Love, if you haven’t already figured out that I am, umm, a little hot and wild, then I’m not sure if you’ve been paying attention,” Fire says with a wink. 

You grin and give him a hip bump. “Yeah, I think I got that. And it’s ok. After all, none of you seem to mind that I’m...I’m with all of you, do you?”

They blink at you. “Why would we mind?” Papa asks with a smile. “I had planned to see how well you got along with my ghouls. My only question had been Johannes. He was a little...possessive of you in the beginning.” Everyone looks at the clown, you with a grin on your face.

Johannes shrugs, grinning himself. “What can I say? Sometimes I have a hard time sharing my toys.” He moves around Earth with a pat on his shoulder, then stands behind you, gathers your hair up into a loose ponytail, and kisses the back of your neck. “But when I saw how much my toy enjoyed being shared...and how much I liked sharing her...well...” He kisses your neck again. “I’m a quick learner when I need to be.”

You shiver hard, leaning back against him and closing your eyes. “You feel so good,” you whisper. 

Papa chuckles. “Okay, okay. My wolf. She is still in trouble, after all.” 

You pout. “Papa, but—” 

“No.” You blink at Earth being so firm.

“No, my sweet, Papa and... Earth...are right ... punishment before pleasure.” Johannes leans down and whispers in your ear, “For the record, the only reason I will stray from you and Papa will be if my king wishes me to return to his bed ... and even then, I will bring you along.”

You smile, looking up at him with love in your eyes. “I’d like that.” You look at Papa and just barely stop the sigh. “So what’s my punishment? Another spanking?”

“No,” Papa says, smirking. “Your punishment is to sit on the bed and just talk with us. No sex.”

The look you give Papa is beyond suspicious. “Just... talk? No sex? How is that punishment?” 

“You’ll see,” Papa says with a positively clown-like grin. “Have a seat.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which punishment and dessert become one...

You hesitate, then climb onto the bed and sit cross-legged. Everyone else follows, and you find Earth and Johannes pressing up to your sides, Johannes playing with your hair softly, relaxing you.

“You know,” Johannes says as his fingers comb through your hair, “we still haven’t wrapped your hair around my cock. We really need to remedy that little oversight.” 

Your breath hitches just a fraction. “I, ah, still don’t understand why you want me to do that.” 

Johannes chuckles. “Because your beautiful soft hair brushing across my dick will make me hard enough to pound nails...but instead of pounding nails, I’ll pound your cunt.”

You swallow, core clenching at his words. Papa chuckles. “So many things we need to do to you still. I can’t wait to take you to dinner in the main hall with a vibrator stuffed into you.” 

You turn crimson. “Wait, what?!” 

Fire’s grinning. “Oh, that one with the remote control? That’s a fun one.”

“Yeah it is,” Water agrees. “Doesn’t it have ten speeds on it?” 

“Mmm, yes it does,” Papa says. “Tell me, ghuleh, do you think you’ll be able to eat dinner while a vibrator is making you shake from the inside out?” 

You swallow hard. “I doubt it,” you say as you roll your hips. 

“Squirming already, sweetness?” Johannes teases. “Come on, you can resist better than that, can’t you?”

You realize that this is your punishment, your test, and you swallow hard, but still yourself. 

“Johannes. I um...” Earth looks embarrassed, but he plows on. “I want to eat your cum out of her ass.” Everyone stares in shock at the little ghoul, disbelieving he actually said that, and you turn purple.

“Oh, oh no, we’re not doing that again, didn’t we do that enough on the airplane?” you whimper. 

Johannes grins wildly. “I’m not sure you get a say in that, sweetness. Little dude, that can be arranged.” 

Special laughs. “I want to do that too, don’t forget.” 

“How could I?” Johannes gently tugs on your hair. “I’ll come in her ass, Papa can come in her pussy, and you and Earth can...have a snack.”

You hide your face in your hands, skin purple. “This is evil, you guys...” 

Papa laughs. “You are speaking to mostly Satanists, my love, what did you expect?” 

The ghouls snicker, and Tim pipes up. “I think she’d look great on a leash and collar. Maybe a dark red and gold one.”

Deep inside you clench, and you feel a tiny gush in your panties. All the men in the room groan as your scent hits. “I think we’d need to try different colors,” Aether says as he stretches out on the bed. “See what looks best against her skin, especially when she’s all sweaty and dripping in cum.”

Fire groans. “Just imagine her face dripping from all of us...” He snaps his fingers. “Papa, you still have that fucking machine stored somewhere, right? We could fuck her mouth while that fucks her pussy and ass the whole time.”

Papa smirks. “I am sure it’s around here somewhere—” 

“Probably in that damn drawer over there,” Johannes mutters, and Papa pinches him playfully. “Fucking machines are all right, I guess, but I think I’d rather have my cock inside her than some machine,” Johannes says as he buries his nose in your hair.

You shiver again at Johannes’s touches, trying to keep it a small shiver so Papa doesn’t see. You can’t say anything, though—all this talk has you beyond words. 

“Johannes, haven’t you ever seen one in action though?” Tim asks with a grin. When the wolf shakes his head, Tim pulls his phone out and moves over next to the man on the bed. A few taps later and there’s the unmistakable sound of porn coming from Tim’s device, and whatever was happening, the woman was extremely enthusiastic. “See, this leaves us free to do as Fire suggested and fuck her mouth. Bukkake her while she gets fucked with this?” 

“H-Hey, whoa, hold on a second!” you cry. You can feel the heat coming off your face.

Johannes continues stroking your hair, watching Tim’s porn selection with a thoughtful expression. “Hmmm...I can see the benefits...Papa, I’m sure I already know the answer to this question, but do you have a wand we could strap to her clit while all this fucking is going on? Constant stimulation....”

Papa laughs. “Do I have a wand... At last count I have twelve, and four of them are cordless.” He strokes his chin thoughtfully. “The corded ones are usually stronger, so I suppose it depends on where she is placed in the room...”

Tim looks around the room from his spot on the bed. “That corner with the chair might work...” and he gets up to investigate. 

Meanwhile, you can tell your panties are soaked through and you aren’t sure how much longer you can keep from squirming or, worse, touching yourself. “Can’t we....can’t we talk about something...else?”

Earth grins faintly against your neck. “No...this is your punishment. You were...you were bad.” 

“He’s right. Bad girls get punished,” Water moans into your other ear. You shudder, and your hips twitch, your clit throbbing. 

John groans. “Fuck she smells so good...can’t we have a little taste, Papa? We don’t have to make her come...”

“I don’t know... the smallest of touches could send her off like a rocket,” Papa says, trying not to smile. “I don’t think she’s learned her lesson just yet. Air, what do you think?”

Air looks at you, taking in your red face and squirming hips, and he smiles. “She definitely hasn’t yet. But I think some light touches, maybe on her breasts and neck, would make it worse for her.” Evil grins were everywhere, and Johannes immediately pulls his ripped shirt off you.

You shudder, not able to hide your reaction any longer, and plead, “I swear, I’ve learned my lesson, you don’t need to...” and your words trail off into harsh breaths as Johannes lifts your hair off your neck and both he and Earth drag their noses up the column of your throat, scenting you, while John lets the palms of his hands lightly skim the material of your bra.

Your breath comes out in a soft “Oh...” and you can feel your nipples tighten. John groans as he sees the stiff peaks through the flimsy material of your bra. Papa makes a soft tsk sound. “We are going to get you better underthings, my love.” He smirks to Johannes. “That will be a fun trip.”

“Will we be allowed to help her try things on?” Johannes asks. You say “no!” at the same time Papa says “of course” and laughter ripples throughout the men. 

“Papa, I don’t think you’d be allowed to...to...” Your words trail off again as John’s hands are replaced with Fire’s, his featherlight touches making you bite your lip to keep from crying out.

Fire grins as he just barely brushes his fingertips along your hard nipples. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” 

You swallow hard, trembling between them, and try again. “I-I...I don’t think that you’d be...be allowed to um...to come into the dressing room...” 

Papa laughs, clutching his stomach. “My love, my goddess. I know we have not really been together all that long, but you have been a fan for a while. Think about it. Think of all the Sisters of Sin who are here. The local lingerie shops love us, and I have been in stalls with my ladies dozens of times.” He smirks, leaning over, lips brushing your jawline. “After all, I spend a lot of money there. I must make sure everything...fits.”

“I ... I guess I never ... thought ... about it,” you gasp. You watch Fire’s fingers, mesmerized, as they dance along your nipples, the swells of your breasts above the cups of your bra. You feel feather-soft kisses on the back of your neck that you assume are from Johannes, but you’re no longer sure who is doing what back there. Fingers trail lightly across your shoulders and down your back...and with a twitch they undo the hooks on your bra, and the straps fall off your shoulders. 

“Very nice,” Fire says as his hands helpfully pull your bra the rest of the way off. And you blush bright red... 

“Darling girl, why so red?” Aether asks, his voice whisper soft. “We’ve seen your tits before...we’ve seen all of you, over and over...” He sucks one of his fingers, getting it nice and wet, then uses it to lightly circle your nipple.

You’re panting, watching their fingers move over your nipples and trace patterns in your stomach. Your muscles are quivering, and you gasp as lips brush ever so gently up your spine. “I-I...o-oh...I-I’m used to you all b-being...r-rough and dominant...but t-this softness is...s-so much more intense...” 

Papa smirks, lips brushing over the curve of your shoulder. “Is it? Good to know. Get her pants off too, but her panties stay on.”

Johannes helps you lift your butt as Fire’s fingers work quickly to unfasten your pants and yank them down and off as fast as he can. Groans echo over you. “Fuck, she smells even better without those pants on,” Water growls. 

Fire pushes your legs wide apart. “Look...at... THIS.” He is pointing to the soaking wet panties that are clinging to your pussy, and now the growls rumble through the room.

You are still gasping as you lean back against Johannes, and you shudder hard as Earth’s gentle fingers run over your thigh. “I-I...I-I feel like I-I’m on fire...” 

Fire leans forward, dragging his tongue softly and slowly up the curve of one breast, making you cry out. “And your fire tastes amazing, my goddess...”

John is digging his fingers into his thighs as he stares between your legs. “Fuck, her damn lips are outlined...guess she really does like the soft stuff...” 

Papa chuckles. “I’m sure our...conversation is helping as well. Our goddess is very fond of filthy thoughts ...and words... and deeds...” Papa lightly...so...very...lightly....runs one finger over your sopping wet panties and your hips buck violently before you realize what you’re doing.

You cry out, hands searching for purchase among your men. Earth takes one hand, and Tim takes the other, and Tim starts pressing open-mouthed, sensual kisses on your wrist as Earth nuzzles your palm. Your clit is throbbing, and your heart is pounding. “P-Please...please I-I need...I need…”

“You may need, but you get nothing,” Air says sternly, even as one finger brushes against a nipple.

“Nothing? You mean....nothing?” you ask on a gasp. Surely they aren’t going to leave you like this, taut and wet and on edge and....empty. So empty....

“You were bad,” Earth says, nose running over your neck. “Why would we let you come...when you....well. Disobeyed us.” 

“Made us worry,” Water murmurs, fingers caressing your thighs.

“Dragged Earth and I around like ragdolls...” Air growls.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you chant. 

“Oh we know you’re sorry,” Air says as he mimics Papa’s feather-light touch across your panties, making you whimper. “But we need you to be more than sorry. We need you to be obedient. So....” Another light caress. “No orgasm.”

More fingers join theirs, caressing across your labia, gathering your moisture through your panties and bringing it to eager mouths to lick off. You plead, tremble, beg, but no matter what you say they won’t change their minds. You are sobbing in pleasured torture against Johannes, and by the time that Jonas (pale but okay) and Henrik (his face is tear-stained but he’s looking hopeful) walk through the door, you are babbling incoherently in need, your mind on fire.

Jonas and Henrik take in the scene before them, staring intently at your mostly naked, incoherent state for several long moments before Jonas says, “I take it someone misbehaved while we were out.”

Papa smirks and nods to him. “Indeed, your majesty. We told her to wait here while we checked on you. She dragged poor Earth and Air all the way down the hall, made Earth cry, and thought she was getting away with it. Obviously, she thought wrong.” He takes in Jonas’s appearance and asks, hesitantly, “If you would like to join in the torture, feel free.”

Jonas’s smile is faint...but it’s there. “Perhaps, in a bit. For now, I can watch....I enjoy a good show...” He perches on the arm of a nearby and inhales deeply. “Her scent fills the whole room. How long have you been tormenting her?” 

“It’s been...a while,” Papa says with a grin as Fire beckons to Henrik. 

“Man, you need to see how wet she is, come here!”

Henrik smiles but looks to his king first. Jonas makes a teasing shooing motion, and Henrik’s smile widens slightly before he approaches the bed. He looks between your legs and groans, inhaling deeply. “My love, you are incredible...look at you...” He reaches forward, fingers joining the others roving over your labia, and you cry out, babbles getting even stronger. 

Tim and John get off the bed and go to Jonas, kneeling next to him and whispering, “Are you all right? We’re sorry if it was...too much...”

Jonas shakes his head. “I am...will be fine. I wanted to know, and there was no good way to find it out so....” His smile is still faint, but he looks better than he had earlier. “Flying helped. Food will help more. And there’s always this,” he gestures to you writhing and wailing on the bed. “I take it she’s not allowed to come?”

Tim and John grin and nod. “They’re not touching anywhere that would make her come.” Tim sighs longingly. “Though if you ask me, we’re all torturing ourselves too.” 

“I want to make her come so bad,” John whimpers, palming at his erection. “She smells so fucking good...” 

At that moment there is a knock on the door, and it opens to let in four sisters of sin, all pushing carts heaped with food. They curtsy to Papa and Jonas, and then leave, grinning at the situation on the bed.

“Ghuleh,” Papa singsongs, trying to get your attention through your babbling. “Do you hear me, ghuleh?” He keeps talking to you, gently bringing you back to yourself. “You have been taking your punishment so well, my pet, I am so proud of you. We are all so proud of you.” The others murmur their agreement as you quiet down.

You swallow, heart still hammering, embarrassed that you had lost yourself so completely in desperate need. The others seem to love it though, so you take a deep breath and sit up, body still shivering in need, but your stomach rumbles again. Earth chuckles and tugs you off the bed to the carts, and you squirm at how drenched you are between your legs. “I’m going to need a shower after this...” 

Earth perks up. “W-Would...would you like to take a bubble bath instead?” He looks at you hopefully, and you remember what Papa said in the shower (which feels like ages ago) and you beam at him.

“I’d love to!” You look down at yourself and blush. “Maybe I should get a shirt or something while we eat,” you say faintly. 

“Whyever would you do that, ghuleh?” Papa asks as the ghouls and wolves start making up plates of food. “We like seeing you this way. Let’s get you fed...we might just continue your punishment after dinner.”

You look at him, at the smirk on his face, and you whimper, shoulders slumping. You all get your food and sit down to eat. Special conjures a giant table, and you all talk and laugh, trying your best to keep Jonas’s mind off any heavy topics. Fire, Water, and Tim burst out laughing at some joke the two ghouls tell. Earth is listening in fascination to a story Johannes is telling him. Air, Aether, and Special are once again deep in conversation. Henrik and Papa are sitting next to you, and Henrik has a hand resting softly on your thigh, skin warm on yours.

You’re finding it very difficult to concentrate on eating, between Henrik’s hand stroking your thigh, the discomfort of sitting in your soaked panties, and your general self-consciousness in being the only person at the table with almost nothing on. 

“Ghuleh, you must eat,” Papa said quietly. “You need to keep your strength up.” 

You swallow. “Is my punishment really going to continue after dinner?” 

Papa and Henrik both chuckle. “Perhaps. But even if it doesn’t, you still need to eat.”

“I just...I’m...” You frown, then defiantly take a large bite out of a piece of garlic bread. Papa grins as Water, across from you, says, “That’s the spirit!” You manage to eat until you’re full, and they even talk you into dessert: a few chocolate-covered strawberries that Papa and Henrik feed you. And then proceed to lick the juice off your lips, setting off your sensitivity again.

“You know,” Henrik says in between licks, “as much as I enjoy chocolate and strawberries, you still taste better.” 

You sigh. “I find that incredibly hard to believe,” you say as you savor his touch.

He dips a finger in the chocolate and carefully paints one of your nipples. “I don’t,” he says as he bends his head.

You cry out, fingers delving into his hair as his tongue licks up the sweetness from your nipple. Henrik growls in pleasure.

“What a good idea, my friend,” Papa exclaims, and proceeds to copy him on the other nipple. Your hips buck on the chair, and you can feel yourself getting wet again. Your head falls back, and then Johannes is there, painting a stripe of chocolate up your neck. 

“Fuck strawberries,” he snarls, “I’d rather have chocolate-dipped you.”

Johannes pulls your head back a little more before he bends to his task, sucking the chocolate off you bit by bit. “Everyone done eating?” you hear Fire ask, followed by the sounds of the table being cleared. “What...” is all you have time to say before Henrik and Johannes pull you up and set you on the table. 

“Lie back, sweetness, it’s time for our dessert,” Johannes says as he picks up the bowl of chocolate sauce. 

“Papa, can we take off these panties now?” Water asks. 

Papa nods. “By all means ... and pass them around, let everyone have a sniff ... or a taste.” Water tugs your panties off and buries his nose in them as Johannes starts drizzling chocolate sauce over you.

“H-Hey, wait, w-what do you mean by taste, are you licking my panties?!” you exclaim, turning crimson again. Then you yelp as the cool sauce hits your sensitive skin. “Johannes, stop that!”

Water grins to you and laughs. “They smell incredible, goddess!” He tosses them to Jonas next, who examines them with a smirk.

You watch, getting redder by the second, as Jonas inhales deeply and gives the crotch of your underwear a taste. “Impressive, little flower,” he says with a wink as he tosses them to John. You are about to protest but Johannes is suddenly painting your mouth with chocolate.

You gasp, eyes wide. “W-Where’d that paintbrush—” 

“Hush, ghuleh,” Papa says, holding his own paintbrush and working on your stomach, drawing intricate designs into your skin. “Let our love work.” You look down and see that every man not currently absorbed in your panties is drawing designs into your skin in chocolate. John is working on your toes, Aether and Air on your left leg, and Fire and Water on your right. Earth is at your shoulders. You swallow hard, knowing that you are totally screwed.

You lie back and close your eyes, trying to control your breathing. At least no one is doing anything to your breasts or your pussy ... maybe if you can just slow your breathing, get yourself calm, you can make it through all this painting and not lose your mind again.

Your hopes are short-lived, however, as Papa finishes work on your stomach and moves to your breasts. “You are going to be a vision when we are through with you, my love,” he murmurs to you. 

You swallow hard. “I-I didn’t realize that I was going to be your next art project...” 

“You do make for a wonderful canvas,” Aether murmurs, paintbrush swirling on your hip, making you shiver.

“I’m...I’m so glad...” you say breathlessly. “I-I want...to be whatever you need.” 

“And you are, darling girl, you are,” Aether says soothingly as his brush starts getting closer to your mound. “You are everything we’ve ever wanted or needed.”

You close your eyes, and you smile, a tear of happiness making its way down your cheek. Johannes tsks at you, “I just finished that area!” But he’s smiling softly. Papa hums in amusement as Tim and Henrik start working on your arms next to him. The pope’s brush is careful as it runs along your breasts, circling slowly around your nipples in complicated patterns.

Tiny whimpers escape your chocolate-coated lips as other brushes join Papa’s and your breathing quickens. “Open your legs,” someone whispers in your ear, and you obey, not even hesitating, and your whimpers become staccato cries as one brush lightly strokes your labia... then two, three, a hundred... Your hips buck, your cream begins to gush out of you. You’re not sure who’s painting where, and it doesn’t really matter. You are pure sensation.

“I think she’s done,” Fire says proudly. The brushes stop for the moment, and you’re left to shiver on the table as your men step back and admire their work. 

“She’s beautiful,” Earth whispers in awe. 

“I didn’t think she could get any more incredible...I was wrong,” Water murmurs. And then they’re all pulling out their cell phones and taking pictures.

Your body twitches. “Papa...” 

“It’s all right, my love,” Papa murmurs, “these pictures are all staying private...they’re just for us. We just want to have something to remember this by...remember how beautiful you look...so you can see how beautiful you are ... before we devour you.”

Henrik comes over and shows you, and...your breath catches. “That...that’s me?” You don’t even recognize yourself. Your skin is covered in delicate swirls of chocolate, enhancing your natural beauty, making you look like a painting.

You look up at Henrik, who smiles to you. “That is you. And you look delicious.” You shiver at his tone, swallowing hard as all the men look hungry again.

No one says a word...your breathing, shuddery and rapid, the only thing you can clearly hear over the thudding beat of your heart. For the longest moment, no one moves either ... the men surrounding you simply gaze at you, seemingly committing this moment to memory. Finally, after an eternity, Water leans in and puts his mouth on your hip, his tongue carefully flicking at the chocolate there, and he hums his pleasure. He looks up at you and smiles, then looks up at the other men. “This is the best dessert you’ll ever have.” 

Slowly, one by one, the ghouls and the wolves start tasting your legs, arms, feet...licking and sucking on your fingers, one by one...

Pure sensation surrounds every inch of you. You can’t even cry out right away because you’re gasping for air too hard. Their mouths and tongues feel incredible, velvety softness on every part of your skin. You drip onto the table, clit throbbing in need once again, and you manage a needy, high-pitched whine as they continue to lick the decadent dessert off you.

They purposely ignore your breasts, your nipples, your clit, your pussy ... for the moment, they are everywhere else, and to their credit there is plenty of chocolate to go around. Licking, sucking, nibbling, biting ... everywhere, except where you need it most.

You gasp, you cry out, every noise imaginable comes out of your throat, including giggles as they lick up the chocolate on your toes. Finally, after what feels like forever, all the chocolate is gone except around your most sensitive parts. 

Papa smirks. “I think we can fit two people between her legs, and one at each breast. Your majesty, if you would like the honor of her pussy? Johannes, would you like to join him down there? Earth, why don’t you take her left breast, and...Tim, her right. Does that sound agreeable?”

“Sounds....delicious,” Jonas says, giving you a positively devilish grin.

Johannes peers into the dish of chocolate sauce, and his wild grin matches Jonas’s perfectly. “There’s enough here we can put more on her and let everyone get a chance at the best parts.”

Earth and Tim are already lapping at your breasts, making you whimper. Your hands slide into their hair, fingers curling around the strands as you feel Jonas spreading your legs. “Sharing is caring, my friend. Shall we get settled in?” He moves up onto the table, and without waiting for Johannes he digs in. You cry out as he gives your labia nothing more than kitten licks, and he groans as he sees you dripping onto the table.

Johannes slides in next to Jonas, lifting your leg over his shoulder, and uses one of his long fingers to gather up some of your cum and swirl it with the chocolate. “So good,” he says as he sucks you off his finger. He bends his head to you and he and Jonas take turns licking your folds.

“I can’t...tell which is...sweeter...her or...the chocolate...” Jonas mutters as he licks at your entrance. 

Tim groans from up at your breast and replies, “Definitely her, my king.” Earth is drunk off your taste already, eagerly lapping at your nipple. 

You are on fire again, hips bucking, desperately trying to get their tongues on your clit. “Please...please!”

“Mmm, yes, sweetness, yes,” Johannes murmurs into you as his tongue finally runs over your clit, and the contact makes you scream, and then Air is there, capturing your scream in his mouth as he kisses you. Jonas slides his tongue inside you as Johannes rubs your clit with his tongue, and after a little bit, their tongues meet and lick each other before they trade places, and Johannes’s long tongue is inside you and Jonas’s lips are covering your clit.

Your orgasm comes so fast that there is no warning—you feel the coil tighten so rapidly that your hips surge off the table as you explode. All your men hang on to you as you writhe and buck and scream, and you can’t stop moving, can’t stop coming as they lick all the chocolate off you. The ghouls are all shuddering with your orgasm, and Earth whimpers against your breast.

The clown and the king work your cunt through your orgasm, licking and sucking your clit and your folds, drinking up your juices as they gush out of you. They start licking and sucking each other’s tongues too, getting the taste of you mixed in between them.

“Johannes...” the king moans, one hand sliding into his clown’s hair. “I’ve missed you...” Papa smiles as the two men kiss, happy for them that they’ve been reunited.

You come down slowly, panting hard, body throbbing as Earth and Tim give their last licks. “P...Popsicle...” you whisper on an exhale. 

Immediately Papa is next to you, shooing Tim away. “Are you all right, my love? We did not hurt you, did we?” 

“No...I’m okay but...I need a break, love...” you gasp, body unable to stop trembling.

“Of course, my love, of course,” Papa says as he and Air help you sit up. The others gather around, stroking and kissing you softly, trying to help you come down. 

“I can’t...I can’t stop shaking,” you say on a breathless laugh. You smile tiredly to everyone as your muscles shudder, and you sigh as you slowly relax. You blink, looking around. “Where’s Johannes and the king?” 

In Jonas’s room, he slams the door shut and presses Johannes to it, kissing him hard. His kiss is desperate, and loving, and needy all at the same time, muttering, “I missed you, I need you,” into his mouth.

“My king,” Johannes whispers as he bites on Jonas’s lip, tugging at it. “I missed you too. I’m... I’m so glad you’re back...I...” He grabs Jonas’s hips, pulls him in close. “Just...take me, take me right now.”

Instead, Jonas drops to his knees, opening Johannes’s pants as fast as possible and pulling his cock out. “I don’t want to take you, Johannes...I want to love you again...It’s my turn to serve you...” He slides his tongue around Johannes’s tip, groaning at his taste.

Johannes’s shout is strangled, and his hips buck once, twice. “No, my king...you shouldn’t...dammit...shouldn’t kneel before me...not....not worthy...” 

Jonas looks up at his clown. “I am the king. If I want to kneel before you, I will.” He takes Johannes’s cock all the way in, lets it hit the back of his throat, then pulls back as Johannes cries out again. “And you are more than worthy.”

Johannes whimpers, fingers curling around his king’s dreads as his hips buck again into Jonas’s mouth. The king growls, hands caressing his wolf’s hips, tongue sliding against his cock with a fluttering motion that has Johannes shouting yet again. He spills into his king’s mouth, and Jonas moans at his taste, drinking him down eagerly.

He carefully licks Johannes’s cock clean, and then Johannes sinks down onto the floor and the two men embrace, holding on to each other, almost afraid to let go. They sit like that for a long time, not saying anything. Finally, though, Jonas clears his throat. “Johannes...” The king hesitates, then, “I don’t... I know... I know that you and Papa and our precious flower are...together, so to speak, and I...I won’t get in the way of that.”

Johannes sighs softly, leaning his head against his king’s. “If you want me to come to your bed, my king, I will. I’ve told our flower that, and also that I’d bring her with me.” His long fingers stroke Kungen’s dreads softly. “I will never stop caring about you. As my lover, as my friend, as my king.”

“You honor me,” Jonas says, his voice breaking. “You honor me and I don’t deserve—” 

“Shhhh.” Johannes kisses Jonas, a deep, lingering kiss that leaves Jonas breathless. “You deserve it. And I’ll tell you that until you start believing it.”

Jonas smiles weakly. “Thank you...I know that it wasn’t me, but...” He closes his eyes, shuddering. “It felt that way...And it’s hard to separate it...I didn’t make those decisions, but my body did.” He rubs his eyes. “There’s so much to make right...with you, with the country...”

“And you will, my king, you will. Your people love you. They’ll be so happy to have the real you back that making things right with them won’t be hard at all.” He smirks. “Making things right with me ...well, that might take a few more blowjobs.” He nudges Jonas to make sure he knows he’s not being serious. Jonas chuckles, suddenly wraps his arm around Johannes’s neck, and the two of them are wrestling.

They leave off breathless with laughter, and Jonas smiles down to the wolf pinned under him. “Thank you, my friend. I am glad you’re happy here.” He chuckles, sitting back on his heels. “Though I didn’t expect one of your loves to be a man of the cloth.” And he feels a cackle bubbling up in his throat. Johannes erupts in laughter, the two men nearly hysterical as they laugh together...another bit of their souls healing.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the angels make an offer that Satan can refuse...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re counting down to the last chapter of Chiaroscuro! Tonight, Chapter 36, marks only 5 chapters left! You don’t want to miss a single week! Once the last chapter is posted, we’re going to take a two-week hiatus, but fret not! During the hiatus, the ‘cast’ of Chiaroscuro has agreed to answer YOUR questions. Starting tonight, submit your questions to us either in the comments here on AO3 or on tumblr (@ghuletteintraining or @girlwiththepapatattoo) – no topic is off limits! 
> 
> “Not even the naughty ones,” Papa says with a smirk.
> 
> Ahem. So send those questions in and we’ll pass them along! ;) 
> 
> Thank you all again for reading and supporting us! It’s been a wild ride, and we have so much more to share with you!

Back down the hall, you are getting ready for that bubble bath with Earth. Your shaking has mostly subsided, and you smile to the little ghoul as he bustles around making sure the bath is perfect. He lights candles, has glasses of wine at hand, checks the temperature of the water to make sure it’s at your preference. 

“I can’t remember the last time I took a bubble bath,” you say as you watch him move about the bathroom. “I never seemed to have the time before.” 

“You have to make time for something like this,” he says quietly as he lights one last candle. “If you want....well. There are so many of...of us and only one of you... that....well. This could be something...we do. Just us.” He casts a quick glance your way. “If you want.”

You smile softly to the little ghoul and step up behind him as he places the last candle just so. “I’d really like that.” You press a soft kiss to his shoulder, and smile again as he offers you his hand to help you in. You take it and step into the water, and as you bend your legs to sit your thigh muscles quake. You can’t help a giggle as you all but plop the rest of the way into the water.

He laughs...not really a chuckle, but not a giggle either, just a sweet laugh you always associate with Earth. “We’ve really...well. You’ve gotten a workout with us.” He starts to undress, slowly, and you can’t not watch if you tried.

“I really have...” you murmur absently as his shirt falls to the floor. He blinks at you staring, and smiles softly, cheeks lighting up in a faint blush. But he doesn’t look away either, and soon enough his pants and boxers fall to the floor. You sigh happily, smiling to him and holding your hand out. “You’re beautiful, Earth...” 

He takes your hand and steps into the water, sitting and lying back, gathering you in his arms. “Not...not like you are.”

You shake your head. “No, I...you all make me feel beautiful, when you look at me, I know you see beauty, but I know when...when I’m on my own I’m just ... average. But you guys...you’re all...so literally, otherworldly beautiful. It hurts to look at you sometimes, it's almost too much for one set of eyes to take in.”

Earth smiles faintly. “You know I...I feel the same way that you do...when I’m alone.” He closes his eyes. “I know I...well. I don’t speak very well...A-And I don’t find myself attractive...even if I...” He blushes faintly. “Sometimes I...I see people watching me...if I’m walking down the hall. A-And I don’t know if they...like me, or...or if they’re staring because I’m weird.” 

“Oh Earth.” You smile, pressing a kiss to the ghoul’s cheek. “They definitely like you. You remember what Fire said. And you know what? You are weird. I’m weird too. Papa is definitely weird. Everyone here is—and it’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Normal is boring as fuck.”

Earth smiles. “I don’t...well. Fire may not be the most...reliable source of information. He likes to...rile me up. But you...” You feel as though he’s reading your soul when he looks at you. “You make me believe it.” 

“Believe what?” 

“Everything.” His kiss is a gentle caress on your lips, then he cups your head and draws you down to him. You lay your head on his shoulder, and he lays his cheek against your head, arms wrapped around you, both of you soaking in the hot bubbly water.

He’s so relaxing, and so warm and luxuriously soft, that almost in no time at all you’re falling asleep. Earth watches you as you slumber, marveling at the soft smile on your face, and he doesn’t think he’s ever seen something so beautiful. He presses his lips to your forehead, arms tightening slightly around you, and he vows to himself, to you, and to Satan that he’ll keep you safe from anything that wishes you harm.

Papa comes in at one point to check on you, and he smiles to see both of you clinging to each other as you doze. Quietly, so as not wake either of you, he uses his abilities to push heat into the bath water so you both rest a little while longer, then he leaves to ready the bedroom for the evening.

At first, your dreams are peaceful and beautiful: you’re lying with Papa, Johannes, Jonas, and Earth in Papa’s bed. All of you share touches, kisses, laughter, and heartfelt conversation. But then, Jonas’s eyes glow gold. Then Papa’s follow, Johannes’s, and lastly Earth’s. They smile to you, and their smiles are triumphant, before they simultaneously lift knives and plunge them into their own hearts. 

You wake with a cry, tears streaming down your face as Earth wakes, his hands automatically going to soothe you. “What...what’s wrong, goddess?”

“No, no, no!” you yell, sitting up, panicked, and bath water splashes everywhere as you scan his chest and run your hands over him, looking for a stab wound. You start shouting the others’ names...

“Stop, it’s ok, it’s all right,” Earth says, getting a little panicked himself when he can’t get your attention right away. Finally, he grabs your wrists and gives you a hard little shake. “STOP.” His demon voice echoes in the bathroom, but it startles you to yourself and you do stop your frantic searching and yelling, looking at Earth with a wild expression, still feeling shaken. 

“You’re...you’re ok? Papa...Johannes... Jonas?...” 

“Yes, we are ok...you were dreaming, my goddess. What...?”

You shudder, gulping down breaths of air as if you hadn’t breathed in days. “You...we...were lying on Papa’s bed...” 

The door flies open, and Papa is there. “I heard yelling, what...?” He takes in the water on the floor, and your panicked, tear-stained expression. “What happened?” 

“Nightmare,” Earth tells him, hands rubbing your shoulders soothingly.

You shake your head, trying to hold back a sob. “No, it wasn’t...it was more...it was so real! It was...oh gods, Papa, are you all right?” Your panic is ramping up again. 

Papa comes to the edge of the tub, and with Earth’s help, he pulls you out of the water and wraps a huge towel around you. “I am fine, my love, everyone is fine, it was just a dream--” 

“No it wasn’t!” You are nearly screaming.

Earth looks at Papa. “What should...what should we do?” 

Papa picks you up, cradling you against him. “Go get Johannes and Jonas and bring them here.” Earth scuttles out, only bothering with a towel, and Papa carries your sobbing form to the bed. “Special, please stay. I’m sorry, but I must ask the rest of you--” 

“No offense, Papa, but if you think we’re leaving when we heard her screaming, then you’re dead wrong,” Tim says firmly. 

Papa blinks at him, hesitating, then sighs and nods. “Very well. Special, I think that the angels might be starting to prevent her from getting rest. Once Jonas and Johannes are here, she will explain.”

You aren’t paying attention to what Papa’s saying; you’re too busy running your hands over his chest, like you did with Earth, checking to be sure there’s no stab wounds. The door slams open and Johannes bursts through, Jonas close behind him, and Earth following. “What happened? Is she ok? Is she hurt?” He goes straight to you and you reach for him, searching him and then Jonas for stab wounds. It’s not until you have reassured yourself that all four men are all right and uninjured that you finally start to calm down a little; tears are still sliding down your cheeks, but your sobs have subsided and your panic is receding bit by bit.

Jonas frowns, worried as well, and smooths a hand over your hair. “My flower, what happened?” Earth scuttles close, holding the towel up around his waist as he climbs onto the bed and holds you tight with Papa. Finally, you’re calm again, and you manage to tell them about your dream. 

Jonas scowls, and Papa presses a kiss to your forehead. “Those damn angels are trying to weaken her. We won’t let them.” 

“Special, is there something you can do to help her sleep?” Papa asks, smoothing your hair with his hand.

“I don’t want drugs, I don’t. Ever since...what happened to me, I don’t take anything stronger than ibuprofen,” you say. 

Special kisses your hands. “Shhh, precious, I understand, we don’t need to worry about any drugs. I’ll--” 

“Forget it, I don’t want to sleep,” you say. “I can’t bear to hear or see anything more, every time I close my eyes I’m going to see you stabbing yourselves, and I can’t, I just can’t see anything else like that or I’m going to lose my mind.”

Special sighs and gives you a look. “If you would let me finish?” You fall silent, watching him warily. “I can put a wall inside your mind that the angels cannot get through. That way you can sleep.” 

Papa sighs in relief. “That’s good. You need to be able to sleep, my love.”

You open your mouth to speak, then change your mind and just nod. “You’re kidding me, right?” Johannes says, grabbing your chin and looking at you closely. “What were you going to say? I know you wanted to say something.” 

“No, it’s all right,” you say. 

He stares at you. “Sweetness.” 

You look at him, at Papa, then look down at your hands, twisting in the towel wrapped around you. “I...I am afraid to close my eyes.”

Special smiles and pats your hand. “Do you think anyone blames you? But once this wall is up in your mind, you have my oath that nothing from angels can be sent to you. No more voices, no more dreams.” 

You hesitate, and then nod. “I...I’ll try. And you...you all will be here, right?” 

“I’m not letting go,” Earth whispers.

“Of course we’ll be here, sweetness,” Johannes says, as the other men agree. He shoots a glance at Papa. “As long as you don’t mind your rooms being invaded by half the world, that is.”

Papa chuckles. “My bed is big enough for all of us, if you haven’t noticed.” 

Johannes snorts. “I am well aware of the size of your bed, Papa. I was thinking more just about the sheer number of people invading your space.” 

Special bids you to close your eyes, and when you do he puts his fingertips on your temples. You feel him in your head for a split second, and then there’s a burst of darkness and he retreats. “There, all done.” He smiles kindly to you.

Johannes watches you as you close your eyes and open them again almost immediately. “We’ll help you go to sleep, sweetness, promise.”

You smile weakly to him. “I think i know what you have in mind...and I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m in the mood right now...” 

“That’s fine, my love,” Papa says. “But a massage will relax you as much as orgasms will. Fire, I think you’re the best here, with your hand warming ability.”

“For the record, sweetness, I didn’t have sex in mind at all.” Johannes chuckles at your look of disbelief. “Hard to believe, I know, but true. I was thinking more along the lines of brushing your hair, and singing you a lullaby.”

“Oh...all of that sounds nice,” you admit softly, rubbing your eyes tiredly. 

“Then all of that you shall have,” Papa says with a smile. He helps you lie down on your stomach, tossing the towel on the floor, and hands Johannes a brush. Fire comes over and straddles your thighs, warming his hands up to the perfect temperature. Papa takes his place at your feet, pulling one foot into his lap. Henrik starts rubbing one calf muscle, and Earth just snuggles up to your side, holding your arm to his chest and smiling to you.

The others settle in to various little tasks and relaxations... Water and Aether blink out and back in with wine and start passing out glasses, Air builds up the fire, and Tim stretches out at the head of the bed, talking to you quietly. Meanwhile, Jonas pulls John aside. “Have you heard anything yet about her ex?”

John shakes his head. “Nothing yet, which is kind of odd. Usually there’s at least something, even if just a social media presence. No one’s given up yet ... it’s a challenge now.”

Jonas nods, clapping a hand on John’s shoulder. “If he can be found, you will find him. I have faith in you.”

John smiles, eyes stinging. “It’s good to hear that again, Jonas.” 

Your eyes are closed as you talk with Tim--between Fire’s, Henrik’s, and Papa’s amazing massage and Johannes humming and slowly brushing your hair, you are too relaxed to keep them open. You can tell that you are slowly falling asleep, and you want to fight it.

“I don’t...want to sleep,” you murmur as you drift in that in-between state. 

“Don’t be afraid, little one,” Tim says quietly. “You are surrounded by love.” 

“I know...I don’t understand...why...”

“Why you’re afraid?” Earth asks softly. 

“That’s not hard to figure out,” Fire murmurs, hands kneading your back. 

“No...why you all...love me...I’ve brought nothing but trouble...”

“No you haven’t,” Earth whispers, kissing your shoulder. “You saved us all.”

A sleepy laugh escapes you. “You’re...demons...don’t need a dumb girl...to save you. I cause...trouble...and problems...made you postpone...tour...get all stubborn and stupid...you should...” 

“Should what?” Earth asks, giving Fire a concerned look.

“Should get rid of me...” you say, but it’s not your voice any longer. The men closest to you stop what they’re doing and watch you closely. 

“What did you say, my love?” Papa asks as he beckons Aether. 

“Get rid of me.”

Aether comes over. “Darling girl, what--” 

“Get rid of me.”

“What the hell?” Johannes says. “What is making her say that?”

“Stop saying that, we love you,” Earth says tearfully. 

“Aether, what can you feel? Special, what happened to that wall?” Papa demands, trying to keep calm. 

Your eyes open suddenly, and they’re glowing gold. “My, this is a feisty little sinner, isn’t she? I won’t be able to stay very long.” The voice is masculine, but with feminine undertones to it that make it hard to place. “We have an offer for you: hand over the conduit, and we give our word that Avatar Country and your...” Your lip curls in a very foreign look of disdain. “Church...will be left unharmed.” 

“Go to hell!” Papa snarls—well, he was about to, but suddenly your body goes taut.

“No! I am protected by my almighty Father—” 

“Piss on that,” another voice says, also coming from your throat. “That asshole has no idea what your group is doing.”

“We will succeed, we will win, for our cause is righteous—” 

“Righteous, my ass.” The scream that rips from your throat is unearthly, like nothing a human can produce. Your body thrashes and twitches, then stills.

“I’m sorry about that, my little treat,” the second voice says, and this time it comes from behind the assembled men. They all turn to look, and Satan is floating in the air, their arms folded, chin resting on their black skin. “Special, my friend, you should know that a conduit’s energy will scour anything a lesser demon—no offense—puts in place in a matter of minutes. Of course, it did give us an opportunity to take out one of these angelic assholes.” 

Papa sighs. “I just wish it didn’t come at her expense. She’s been through a lot.” 

Jonas, Tim, Henrik, and John, meanwhile, are all staring and gaping, and John’s hand is firmly around the handle of his long knife.

“What the actual fuck is that?” Tim says as Henrik moves to guard Jonas. 

Satan waves. “Ah, the wolves of Avatar Country, lovely to meet you all. Satan, Prince of Darkness, at your service.” The four wolves take a step back, Henrik fighting the urge to shift, all of them feeling their wolves’ hackles rise.

Papa sighs in exasperation, looking over at the Avatar men. “You’ve met demons before, hell, I am part demon, and yet you balk at the lord of all of them? Come now, They are not here to hurt you.” Papa gets off the bed, coming over to the floating Lord of Hell and kissing them fondly. “My lord Satan, it’s been a while since I have seen you in person.” 

“I know, I really must visit my favorite Papa more. It’s just been so busy, what with this angel uprising.” 

“Yes, not a big fan of that myself. Especially not when it targets my loved ones. Is there something you can do for her? She needs to be able to sleep.” As he speaks to his lord, he keeps an eye on Jonas and his men, making sure they don’t do anything stupid.

Johannes tosses a look to Jonas and the other wolves. “It’s all right....weird, but all right. The longer you stay here, the more you’ll get used to all the crazy shit that happens.” 

Meanwhile you are shivering in Johannes’s, Fire’s, and Earth’s arms. “I’m...I’m never going to sleep again. I’m never...never closing my eyes. Fuck blinking. I’m just...just gonna be an owl,” you say shakily.

“Now, now, my treat,” Satan says, and suddenly you’re floating in the air over to them. Their arms cradle you, gently, and their hand smooths over your hair. “I will be able to help you. The wall I give you will stay up for weeks before your energy erodes it, and by then you should be able to form your own, as long as you actually train well.” 

You swallow. “I’m just so scared...” 

“I know, my precious treat, I know. But you cannot let fear rule your life.”

You nod, too overwhelmed to say anything more. Even if you want to, you can’t...Satan is in your mind, you can feel the energies shifting as he sets up the mental block, and more... At your questioning look, Satan smiles. “Don’t fret, my treat, I’m just...refreshing the seals I gave you before...conduit energy will eventually erode even our most powerful protections, given enough time. And you, tasty little thing, are the strongest conduit we’ve ever seen.”

You stare at them, frowning. “That’s...you’re just saying that.” 

They laugh, kissing your forehead. “My treat, you saved a kingdom from an angel when you barely have any training behind you at all. Do you think just anyone can do that? Look what you did for Johannes. Healing is not easy at all, ask Special. I am not just saying that—if you wanted, once you are trained, you could rule this world.”

Jonas smiles. “I said the very same thing just a few hours ago.” 

Satan flicks a quick approving glance at the king. “Well, that’s because you are very astute and incredibly good at gauging power, Kungen.” Satan looks back at you. “And the dragon king would never lie, my treat. You are already a force to be reckoned with...it’s no wonder why those shitty angels have turned their attention to you. Under their influence....well...I shudder to think what would happen.”

“I...” You swallow, then say firmly (or, as firmly as your exhausted state would allow), “I don’t want to rule anything. I know how power corrupts and all that shit. I’ll start off wanting to help people in need, and before I’m done I’m a tyrant. I...I never want to be that. All I want is for me and my loves to be happy and safe...that’s it. Fuck, we could live in a shack in the woods, but as long as we’re together I wouldn’t care.” 

Satan cocks their head, then smiles. “My dear, you’re going to do more good than you know.” They gently float you back over to Papa and your wolf, then Satan points to Jonas. “You. Forgive yourself; none of this was your doing.” They point in turn each to Tim, John, and Henrik. “You—you were just trying to survive. Forgive yourselves.” Then they point to Johannes. “And you. The same thing I just said. Forgive yourself. That angel would have, one hundred percent, killed you if you’d continued to defy it. All of you, you did what you had to do. Forgive yourselves, and move forward, and love this woman, and you will flourish.” And then Satan looks to you, and frowns. “And you. Fucking go to sleep.” 

“Wait, what—” But nothing else comes out of your mouth as Satan snaps their fingers, and you fall into a deep, peaceful, dreamless slumber.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which male bonding is key...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget ... the ‘cast’ of Chiaroscuro has agreed to answer YOUR questions. Submit your questions to us either in the comments here on AO3 or on tumblr (@ghuletteintraining or @girlwiththepapatattoo) – no topic is off limits!

You slump into Johannes’s arms and he catches you, holding you close. “Thank you,” he says to Satan. “I was beginning to worry that she’d make good on her word and never sleep. Stubborn thing,” he says, watching you closely.

Satan chuckles softly. “She is stubborn. And sometimes it does cause problems for everyone. But...it’s also one of her greatest sources of strength. If she wasn’t exactly as she is, I fear she would have given up long ago.” They sigh, floating over and running a hand over your hair, and then over Johannes’s hair as well. “All us godlike beings are forbidden from saying too much about future events. But...I can say to watch out for her past. She has been wrapped up in things longer than she knows.” They smile. “And, I also know all the loopholes. Earth, my adorable little ghoul. Come here.”

Earth slides over, head bowed, but with a grin decorating his face. “My lord, we’ve missed you.” 

“Look at you, you handsome devil,” Satan says with a delighted peal of laughter. “And you’re all naked and open and looking a little more sure about yourself, this is fantastic! I knew my treat would be good for you!” They kiss Earth soundly.

All the ghouls look at each other with smiles, and Papa feels a swell of pride in his chest. Satan pulls away with a smile. “Even your kiss has gotten firmer. I’m so proud of who you’ve become, and who you’re becoming.” They cup Earth’s cheek, and the little ghoul leans in to the demon’s touch. “Would you like to be able to see your visions clearer?”

Earth stares at Satan. “I...I didn’t think it was possible.” He looks at Papa, startled. “Is it possible? Really?”

Papa shrugs. “I do not know much about far-sight, Earth. But our lord does.” 

“Earth.” Satan turns his head back to look at them and smiles kindly. “I can give you that ability. But you cannot make this decision lightly. Seeing the future...what could happen, undiluted...it’s a heavy burden.”

Earth looks down at the floor, then over at you, still deeply asleep in Johannes’s arms. “I think...well. I think, if I was supposed to have full visions, I would already have them. Maybe...maybe I shouldn’t. And...and I think...” He looks at you again. “I think I need to be the way I am in order to take care of the people I love.”

Papa turns away, hiding a tear of pride, but he can’t stop smiling. His heart is so full at seeing how wise and how self-assured Earth is becoming. Fire and Water are holding each other and weeping outright. Satan smiles and cups his cheek, turning Earth back to face them. “You are becoming so wise, my little Earth. I’m so proud of you. If that is the way you feel, then I will not alter your power as it is right now. But if you can think of something you’d like to be able to do in order to protect her more, do not hesitate to ask me, all right?”

Earth nods, a serious expression on his face. “Yes, my lord. I will.” 

Satan kisses him again. “Oh so proud of you, Earth! Papa, he is doing so well, I am so pleased!”

If you had been awake, you would be giggling your ass off at the sight of Satan, the Lord of Hell, squeezing a flustered but smiling Earth against their breasts like an excitable aunt. Instead, Johannes handles that admirably well for you, snorting into your neck as he holds you, shoulders shaking with mirth.

“Wolf, you’d best put that precious armful down before you drop her if you’re going to stand there snorting like a buffalo,” Satan says, chortling themselves. “Ah, I just love seeing all of you, it gives me great joy. I really do need to visit more often.”

“If you’d like to stay, please, you know you are welcome. Perhaps put the minds of our guests at ease,” Papa says with a grin back at the still-wary group of wolves. 

Jonas clears his throat and steps forward. “I apologize for our reactions, my lord Satan. We may be shapeshifters, but none of us have ever encountered beings such as yourself before.” 

“Oh, you’ve never met anyone like me, I can assure you,” Satan says playfully, long tongue licking at their teeth.

“Yeah, I think we figured that out the moment you showed up,” John says, eyeing that tongue warily. “That’s, ahhh, quite the tongue you have there, my lord.”

“It is, isn’t it? You can try it if you like, I’m always willing.” Satan winks.

John actually blushes faintly, and he swallows. “A-A generous offer. I-I’ll keep it in mind.” 

Satan laughs in delight. “It has been so long since I’ve been around mortals who are still flustered by me! Forgive my amusement, my friends, it’s truly not at your expense!”

Henrik smiles faintly. “I suppose around here only the new recruits would still be shocked.” 

Satan grins. “Oh yes, but they are always curious enough to let me taste them.” Satan casts a glance at the wolves that is both wicked, gleeful, and curious all at the same time. “I wonder, do all wolves taste the same...? I know Johannes has a wild bite that makes him quite refreshing...” At the wolves’ side-eyes to each other, Satan laughs. “Oh, not to worry, I merely tasted Johannes through the conduit when we were last together...nothing direct...yet.”

Johannes swallows, and Special doesn’t help when he looks over at the clown and waggles his tongue. The taller man’s skin flushes and he glowers at the demon, who just snickers.

Jonas takes a half step forward. “Could you not taste us through our precious flower again?”

“Of course I could, but she’s not awake to give consent right now. I will never do anything sexual without consent, unless I’m torturing a rapist in Hell.”

Jonas came as close to blushing as a king ever would. “Ah, of course, I certainly didn’t mean to imply... I would never suggest or even think of...” He closes his eyes briefly, then opens them again and inclines his head in a small bow. “My apologies, my lord. I did not mean to imply that anyone should do anything to her without her express permission.”

Satan sighs, propping their chin on their hand. “This whole ‘I’m the incarnation of evil’ schtick is getting pretty damn old. I understand that there are stereotypes, but those stereotypes were put in place by believers of God. Yes, I can be cruel—to people who deserve it.” They look at Jonas and his men. “You would do well to forget whatever you’ve learned about me from the world at large.”

“Understood.” Jonas looks at you as Johannes finally lays you on the bed and gently covers you with a blanket. “I can see that you are not the terrifying abomination that most people assume...but your appearance is....startling when one is unprepared for it.”

Satan snorts. “And you can turn into a dragon. I do not see a difference.” 

Jonas pauses, then smiles faintly. “Again, a good point.” 

Earth looks at you, biting his lip, then looks up at Satan. “Could I...?” 

“Hm? Oh, yes, of course.” They let go of the little ghoul, and Earth scuttles over to you on the bed, getting under the covers and snuggling you to him. 

Papa smiles, then turns to them again. “So, are you in favor of this alliance then?”

“Spreading the good word of Satan out and beyond?” Satan winks. “I couldn’t be more in favor of it. And the added benefit for you and the ghouls pleases me as well. I think you, of all the Papas, can do more good here than ... retired.”

Fire grins and nudges Papa. “I don’t think you’re going to need that harem of yours any longer. They’ll be so lonely.” 

Papa smirks. “They’re good people, all of them. They can...entertain themselves without me. Perhaps they will travel to join my brother’s home.”

Jonas chuckles. “You said nothing to me about giving up a harem to pursue our alliance, Papa. Are you sure you really want to stay here and work when you could .... relax?” He grins, and for a brief moment thinks how good it is to be here and present and...enjoying himself.

Papa laughs. “Oh, I think between Johannes and our goddess I have enough relaxation.” Then he sobers, smile turning soft. “Besides, I really do love the church. If I can spread our influence, I will. I think our lord’s message will be received well in your country, my friend.”

“I agree,” Jonas says and at the other wolves’ nods, he adds, “and as you can see the inner circle does as well.”

“Just speaking for myself,” Henrik says, “I know I am interested in learning more, after just the very little bit I’ve seen and heard.”

“My message is very simple at heart, not so easy to learn to live by: do whatever the hell you want, so long as it’s not hurting you or someone else. Learn all you can—knowledge is the real power. Be kind to each other, but don’t take shit. There’s a few others, but...mostly that.” They smile to the inner circle. “This world is plagued with the ‘What if they think I’m stupid’ kind of sheep mentality that aggravates me so badly. So what if they do? Why should someone else’s opinion force you to change who you are? Be true to yourself and you’ll be a lot happier.” They sigh, and their smile turns apologetic. “I am sorry about the rant. Mortals just...vex me sometimes.”

Papa smiles. “Mortals can’t help it.” He looks at you, snuggled in Earth’s arms, and sighs fondly. “It’s part of their charm.”

Satan chuckles. “Indeed.” They pause, looking as if they’re listening to someone else, then sigh again. “My work is never done. It was good to finally meet you all, Kungen, Henrik, John, Tim. Papa, I’ll pop in at the meeting tomorrow. I’m sure those windbags will try to give you a hard time.” And they are gone.

Jonas drops onto the nearest seat. “Well. That certainly wasn’t something I expected to do today.” 

Tim does the same. “I suppose we should have, given where we are, but .... yeah. I wasn’t expecting that either.” 

“But ... I have to say, I like Satan. Words I didn’t think I’d ever say,” John says with a chuckle. His phone buzzes. “I better take this...it could be about...” And he steps out of the room.

Papa comes over to you, smoothing a hand over your hair, and he smiles to Earth. “You are impressing me more and more each day, my friend. I’m so proud of you. Wouldn’t you agree, my wolf?” He looks to Johannes, who also hasn’t left your side. 

Jonas steps out into the hall just as John is hanging up. “Well?”

John looks at his king and shakes his head. “Let’s go back into the room. I want everyone to hear this.” Jonas nods once and they go back in just in time to hear Johannes say, “This little dude is top shelf,” as he ruffles his hair. 

“John just heard back from some of his people, he wants to share his findings with everyone,” Jonas says, and everyone, with the exception of Earth, who is comfortable right where he is, turns to John. 

“Well, I have my best people on this, but they’re not coming up with much. We found out his name through our girl’s social media, and that is all anyone can find. It’s like the asshole doesn’t exist. The best theory is that he scrubbed his online history...but no one can scrub it so well that there’s nothing.” John pockets his phone as if the device personally offended him. “No one’s giving up on finding him...but right now, we’re not having much success.”

Papa frowns, rubbing his chin. “Well, he’s only human. There must be something out there. I’m sure you’ll find it, John. I’ve heard about how well your spies work.” John inclines his head in thanks. 

Aether pipes up. “We have a busy day tomorrow. Papa, you four are leaving in the morning, yes?” At Papa’s nod, he continues. “Not to mention we have the meeting and then she wants to start training. We should probably all get some sleep.”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be a helluva day tomorrow, and I’m seriously wiped,” Johannes says. “I’m taking a shower first though.” And he heads into the bathroom to do just that. 

Papa looks around. "I know that our goddess asked for everyone to stay here, but if any of you want to retire to your own space, you can do so." 

Jonas looks around, then smiles weakly. “If it’s all the same, I’ll stay here. I don’t want to be alone right now.” 

Papa smiles faintly. “I understand. Please, my home is your home. Make yourself comfortable.” He turns and follows Johannes into the bathroom, shutting the door softly.

Johannes looks up at the sound of the door, smiles softly at the sight of Papa, then continues undressing. “Are you all right, my wolf?” Papa asks, his voice low and soft. “Things are happening so quickly, it seems like I’m not sure how anyone is feeling, about anything.”

Johannes pauses, hands on the top of his pants, and he sighs. “I’m...I feel like a fucking yo-yo. One minute I’m thrilled that my king is back, the next I’m ready to rip some asshole’s throat out, then I’m laughing with my king again, then I’m terrified for our sweetness...” He rubs his temples. “It needs to be...stable, for at least a fucking hour.”

Papa nods. “I like to think I am used to constant chaos, but yes, I think this whiplash life may be too much even for me.” He chuckles softly. “Either that or I really am getting old.” He runs his hand down Johannes’s hair. “Would you rather I run you a bath? A good soak might make you feel more stable.” 

“Nah, I’m not really a bath person,” Johannes says, then grabs Papa’s hand and kisses it. “I don’t mind company in the shower though, if you want. Water conservation, and all that.” He grins.

Papa smiles. “I would like that.” He kisses Johannes’s hand in return and starts undressing. “You know, two months ago I had two sisters and one brother of sin in here with me, while another two took a bath.” He starts the water and smiles to the taller man. “And today I had a shapeshifting clown and a conduit, both of whom I love with all my heart.” He shakes his head as he steps inside. “Life is fucking weird.”

“Fuck right it’s weird.” Johannes finishes stripping and follows Papa in, groaning as the hot water hits him. “I don’t even want to think about the differences between my life two months ago and my life today ... my fucking head will spin. Fuck, whoever invented hot showers is a fucking superhero.”

Papa laughs and presses himself against Johannes’s back. “I have been lobbying our leaders for years to recognize them and the person who invented air conditioning as a saint. To no avail, sadly.” He presses soft kisses up the man’s spine, love and fondness in each caress of his lips.

“Well, I can understand why they wouldn’t want to honor the dude who invented air conditioning...hell supposedly being hot on purpose and all,” Johannes mutters in between little hums of pleasure over Papa’s kisses. “But hot showers ... that seems like a no-brainer...”

Papa snorts in laughter against Johannes’s back. The taller man feels the smaller quaking in suppressed mirth, which makes him smile. “Oh, my wolf, you are amazing. Also, Hell really isn’t very hot at all. I mean, some of the torture rooms are, but the rest of the place is a balmy 75 all the time.”

“Balmy, is it?” He turns around to face Papa, gazing down on him with a smile. “Shapeshifters run hot, you know. Seventy-five for us is a little less balmy, a little more time to strip down.” His smile turns into more of a grin. “Which really isn’t a bad thing, when you think about it.” He runs his hands down Papa’s arms, to his hips, pulling him in close. “You look good wet.”

“I look good all the time,” Papa replies with a playful sniff, then smirks up at Johannes. “So do you...I have been attracted to men before, of course, but I have never thought of one as striking as you are.” His hands come up, caressing the taller man’s cheeks. “You are so beautiful...”

Johannes lets his eyes close for a moment as he savors Papa’s touch then opens them to stare at him some more. “And you, my dark pope, are stunning. Sometimes...sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe when you are near.” 

Papa tilts his head to the side a little and smiles. “Why, Johannes, it’s rare for you to say such tender things, at least to me. It’s...it’s good to hear it from you.”

Johannes looks to the side, a little chagrined. “I... yeah, it’s easier for me to be rough and rude. It kept me safer, too. But being with you, and our sweetness, and my...with Jonas earlier makes me remember how it feels to be...soft...again.”

Papa smiles tenderly. “It is nice, isn’t it? To be able to say things from your heart, and not worry about being taken as weak.” 

Johannes snorts. “You should have heard what I said to our sweetness in the garden earlier. I think I gave the flowers diabetes.” 

Papa laughs softly. “Well, now you must tell me.” 

“No way!”

“I will tickle it out of you if I must, my wolf,” Papa says with a devilish gleam in his eyes.

“Won’t work. I’m not ticklish,” Johannes replies, avoiding Papa’s gaze.

“Oh really? So if I were to...” The shorter man lets his fingers graze Johannes’s side, and the grin that spreads across Papa’s face as Johannes jumps is definitely evil. “Not ticklish my perfectly heart-shaped ass!” And Papa proceeds to tickle his wolf mercilessly. “You will tell me!”

The wolf tries hard to keep from laughing, wriggling around and trying to get Papa’s questing fingers off of him, but it doesn’t take long before Johannes is dissolving into laughter. “All right, all right, I give, stop!” 

“Are you going to tell me?” 

“Yes, yes,” he says breathlessly. “Fuck, you’re devious ...” 

“Yes, yes, enough with the compliments,” Papa grins, “what did you say to our goddess?” 

“I was telling her about kintsugi, you know what that is?” Papa nods. “Well, she called herself damaged goods, and I told her,” Johannes pauses, partly to recover from his laughter, but partly to recall his words, “I told her that we might be damaged goods, but we’re,” and he’s looking embarrassed again, “we’re fixing our cracks with love instead of gold.”

Papa stares up at him. “Johannes...that’s positively poetic.” He’s tearing up in spite of himself, and quickly rubs his eyes and beams up at him playfully. “There’s hope for you yet.” Then he reaches for the shampoo. “Come, let me wash your hair. I’ve not yet had the pleasure.”

“I won’t turn that down,” Johannes says, and starts to turn, then stops and stares closely at Papa. “I meant what I said, you know.” 

Papa cups Johannes’s face, holding his gaze. “I know, my wolf. I know.” Their kiss is deep and slow. Then Papa pulls back. “Turn around. I want to get my soapy hands on that beautiful mane.”

Johannes grins as he turns for Papa, and he growls, “You could put your soapy hands on something else if you want.” 

Papa chuckles darkly. “Oh I plan on it, love. Once we’re clean, I’m getting us dirty again.” His hands lather Johannes’s hair, working the soap through the long strands with a sigh. “Your hair is beautiful, my love...”

Johannes leans his forehead against the shower wall, moaning a little. “Thank you. Damn, that feels so good. You can wash my hair any time, you and our goddess.”

Papa’s cock twitches at Johannes’s moan, and he grins, though he keeps the smile out of his voice as he injects jealousy instead. “You’ve never told me my hair’s pretty. I take damn good care of it, too.” Papa is loving this, loves being able to just banter and be happy with his wolf. The only thing that would make it better is if his goddess were here too.

Johannes chuckles. “Well, perhaps if it were longer...” Papa pinches him playfully. “Hey now, no need for that...” Johannes pinches Papa back. 

“So now it’s a pinch war, is it?” Papa asks. Pretty soon the two of them are grappling with each other, trying to pinch each other and block each other at the same time, laughing at their struggles.

Back in Papa’s room, Jonas is lying next to you and Earth, shirtless and barefoot, clad only in boxer briefs and a pair of reading glasses. He’s reading over some notes that he took from his desk back at home. Hearing the laughter that is coming from the bathroom, he smiles. He really is thrilled that Johannes is so happy. 

Henrik smiles as well from next to his king. “They’re good together.”

Jonas looks over the top of his glasses at his bodyguard. “They are. A happy result from not-so-happy circumstances.” 

Henrik watches you sleep, and his smile gets a little bigger. “And this is another happy result. I still can’t believe how she helped us ...”

Jonas looks over, smiling and stroking his thumb tenderly over your forehead. “She is incredible...to think she risked her life, not even trained...” He shakes his head as he turns back to the papers. “Incredible,” he murmurs again. 

Tim flops down onto the bed, hair back in a ponytail to sleep, also mostly naked. “Remember when we’d all get so absorbed in practicing that it’d be four in the morning and we’d be too tired to leave your rooms, sire? This is reminding me of those sleepovers.”

“Mmm, yes. Those were good days,” Jonas says with a laugh. “We should have brought the guitars with us, we could be playing again. It’s...it’s been a while since we’ve practiced.”

John grins and scuttles out of the room, unnoticed by the others. Ten minutes later he’s back, huffing and out of breath. but carrying three guitar cases. “You really think...that we’d come to...a fellow metal band’s...sort-of-house...and not bring instruments? They were packed last night,” he says proudly, handing them to his friends, who promptly bury him in hugs.

The ghouls watch the wolves pile on each other, and they laugh, cheering them on. “Now we can be serenaded for a change,” Fire says. “About time!”

Water laughs. “Do you guys take requests?” 

The wolves laugh and shake their heads, then get out their instruments and start tuning them. Jonas smiles softly as his hands run over his guitar. “I’ve missed you, my friend...” he murmurs.

“You aren’t gonna start humping the poor thing, are you?” John teases as he pulls a couple of drumsticks from his back pocket.

Jonas frowns at John. “How would you like to not drum for decades? You’d be jacking off on your cymbal.” Earth can’t help it, he giggles into your shoulder.

John blows a raspberry at the little ghoul as he spins the sticks between his fingers. “Point taken, my king.” John drums out a rhythm on a pillow then says, “Hell, I might even fuck myself with a drumstick while I desecrate the cymbal.” That does it—everyone in the room cracks up.

Jonas wipes a tear of mirth away, then leans over and wraps an arm around John’s neck and presses a big kiss to the man’s temple. “I fuckin’ missed you all. Now let’s play.” And he strikes up the beginning chords to “Legend of the King.” 

Fire grins, then goes over to the bathroom door and pokes his head in. “Hey, Johannes! I know you’re probably getting fucked in there, but your King is playing guitar, so you might wanna hurry!”

Papa bottoms out inside Johannes and pauses. “Do you—” 

The clown snarls as he presses his forehead against the shower wall and pushes back against Papa’s crotch. “Don’t you fucking dare stop til you come in my ass and I come on this wall. This song’s got a long-ass intro.” Papa groans and begins to move again. “And I’m so fucking close...”

Papa grips his hips harder, his own hips slamming into Johannes’s ass. His hand reaches around and starts jerking the taller man’s cock, hard and fast, and Johannes shouts as he does spill on the wall. Papa cries out and comes hard as he feels Johannes squeeze him tightly, shuddering as his orgasm ripples over him. Slowly, he pulls out and pats his love’s ass. “All right, go on, I’ll clean up here.”

Johannes rinses off, then turns and grabs Papa up in a hard embrace, one large hand grabbing his ass and the other gripping the back of his head by the hair as he kisses him deep and a little rough. “I love you.” 

Papa hesitates just a beat ... he doesn’t think Johannes has ever said those three words directly to him before, but Papa knows better than to point that out or make a scene. He kisses his wolf back. “And I love you. Now go, you’ll miss your cue.” He smiles to himself and shakes his head as Johannes rushes out and starts to sing. Suddenly overcome, Papa pauses for a moment as he replays Johannes saying, “I love you,” over and over in his head. A giddy blush rises to his cheeks, and he hops up and down in delight and joy. 

The dark pope finally calms enough to clean himself and the wall up, then wraps a towel around his waist and heads out into his room. He doesn’t want to miss this. Johannes is sitting on the bed, still naked because he doesn’t really give two shits if anyone else is uncomfortable, singing his heart out as his friends all play. John has made a drum kit out of pillows and a bucket someone found for him. Papa smiles, sitting down at his vanity dresser as he brushes his hair out. The music is wonderful, and his wolf sings like an angel.

They finish one song and move effortlessly into another, flooding the room in sound and energy, and Papa can practically see the notes seeping into the wolves’ skin, working to heal the damage the angel had wrought. At one point Air comes over and whispers, “Our beloved is going to be incredibly pissed off if she finds out she missed this.”

Papa smiles. “She will be, but she needs to rest. Besides, you and I both know that making it up to her will be more than worth it.” 

Shaking out pleasantly sore fingers, Jonas smiles to his friends. “It feels like nothing has changed. I’m glad. But I think that is enough for tonight. We all must sleep.”

There’s some good-natured grumbling, and an “ok, dad, whatever you say” or two, but soon enough, the wolves and ghouls start settling down...and the good-natured grumbling shifts into good-natured bickering over exactly what the best positions and placements are on the bed to maximize space and keep everyone as close to you as possible.

Earth stays snuggled up to your left, and Johannes moves in to your right. Papa slips between your legs, using your lower belly as a pillow. Henrik takes one leg, and Fire takes the other. Everyone else snuggles up as best they can, and Papa snaps his fingers, and the lights go out. There’s silence for a few minutes, and then John’s voice says playfully, “Good night, Satan.” 

There’s a yelp, and then Satan’s voice mutters in amusement, “Smartass.”


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you prepare to wrap up your past by embracing a royal future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget ... the ‘cast’ of Chiaroscuro has agreed to answer YOUR questions. Submit your questions to us either in the comments here on AO3 or on tumblr (@ghuletteintraining or @girlwiththepapatattoo) – no topic is off limits!

Rain beats against the windows, the rhythm so soothing that you lie there with your eyes closed long after you’re truly awake. For a second you wonder how you managed to sleep the entire night without any issues ... and then you recall Satan’s visit. You open your eyes and try to sit up, but you are well and truly pinned by several large wolves and ghouls of assorted sizes. You snort and resign yourself to lying there, thinking about the day ahead of you.  
  
Papa shifts slightly, murmurs something against your skin, and falls silent. Fire is snoring against Water’s thigh, and Earth is tight up against you, breathing against your neck. Johannes is also tight against you, but one hand is resting in Papa’s hair.  
  
Any other time you’d feel nearly claustrophobic to have this many people so close to you...especially this many large-sized men surrounding you, pinning you down, making it nearly impossible for you to move ... but somehow, with them, it doesn’t feel threatening. It just feels safe and warm and comfortable....and if it weren’t for your screaming bladder, you’d be happy to stay just like this forever.  
  
Mentally cursing your bladder, you slowly worm your way up and out of the sleeping men. Papa immediately turns and snuggles into Johannes’s stomach as you pad to the bathroom. On your way back to bed, you notice that Jonas is awake and sitting on the couch in front of the gently smoldering fire. You blink, then pad over to the couch, sitting next to him. He looks over to you, smiling very faintly. “It’s still early, my flower. You should go back to sleep.”  
  
“Once I’m up, I’m up,” you say. “Even if I want to sleep in, I usually can’t.” You watch him closely for a bit. “How about you? Shouldn’t you still be asleep?”  
  
His smile fades. “Sadly, I didn’t get the option of a magical sleep. So my nightmares are still front and center.” His arm slips around your shoulders and pulls you into his side.  
  
You lay your head on his chest and cup his cheek gently before letting your hand drift down to stroke his arm and his side. “I’m so sorry, Jonas. It didn’t even occur to me how difficult it must be for you when you’ve only been back to yourself a few days. Everyone’s been so focused on me, and we should be putting some of that focus on you.”  
  
“Oh, my sweet, thank you for the thought. I am just glad enough to be back with everyone. But...” His eyes go haunted. “I remember things that I really...would rather not. When I’m awake, I can put it out of my mind. But I can’t do that asleep.” He presses his lips to the top of your head, taking comfort in your presence.  
  
You hug him, and you can’t help but rub your cheek against his sleek skin, and trace the lines of his tattoos. “Isn’t there anything we can do to help? I hate to think of you suffering, not after everything you’ve already been through. It just doesn’t seem ... fair.”  
  
“I don’t know. I’ll ask. I am not a conduit, so maybe Special can do something that will stick.” His eyes close at your touches. “Besides, I don’t get to talk to you when I’m asleep.”  
  
“Well, if you don’t say something to Special, I will. Someone has to take care of you, of all of you really, and it may as well be me.” He chuckles, and you feel it through his chest more than hear it. “So...here we are, both awake. What do you want to talk about?”  
  
“Hm...tell me how you became a fan of us and of Ghost? Favorite songs? I am curious, my flower.” He watches you, fingers curling a lock of your hair.  
  
You laugh. “I wish I had some great story, but honestly, it was completely by accident. I was at a festival a year or so ago, actually to see another band, and Ghost came on the stage and just totally blew me away. I fell in love, with the music, the theater, everything. And I started listening to you guys because YouTube suggested Avatar videos after I binge-watched Ghost videos for three days straight.” You close your eyes and breathe deeply, taking in his scent as if you were a shapeshifter yourself. “Gods, you smell good.”  
  
He laughs softly. “That’s the kingly musk,” he says playfully, making you snort-giggle into his shoulder. “You smell good too. You always smell good...I wasn’t joking when I said I wanted perfume that smells just like you.” He leans down, pressing a kiss to your bare shoulder. “I’d spritz some on my wrist every morning, and when things get tough I could just give it a sniff and smile...”  
  
You giggle, then get thoughtful. “What...what do I smell like? All of you keep saying how good I smell, but you don’t say what I smell like ... and I...well, it’s no secret that when you all start sniffing, I blush, so I’ve never been able to ask outright.” Speaking of blushing, you’re starting to. “But I wonder...”  
  
He smiles, running his fingers along the redness on your cheeks. “And it’s no secret that we all find your blush incredibly adorable, and incredibly arousing. As to what you smell like...” He leans back, looking thoughtful. “Believe it or not, you smell different to each of us, just as you taste different to each of us. Papa told me the night you saved us, to him you taste like his favorite hot chocolate. Johannes told me earlier that you taste like this one candy he’s addicted to, salty and sweet at the same time. To me?” He smiles. “You taste like this spiced rum that I used to enjoy at the end of every day.”  
  
You stare at him, mesmerized by his words, enchanted by the thought that each of your loves gets something different from you. “That’s...amazing. Does my...does my scent match my taste?” Your blush gets a little bit deeper.  
  
“Actually, no. I’m not sure what you smell like to the others, but to me...you smell exactly like my garden back home.” He cups your cheek. “It’s part of why I call you my precious flower.” He kisses you deeply, as if he could drink you down forever.  
  
You melt into his kiss, opening yourself to him and letting him take what he wants. You let your fingers slide up his arm and into his dreads, grabbing hold as he pulls you in close to him. You answer his growl with a tiny mewl, surrendering yourself to his grip.  
  
Slowly he lays you down on the couch, and his kisses move from your lips to trail slowly down your body. He pauses at your breasts, giving each nipple their due attention, before he’s moving down again. He nips at the top of your mound as his eyes catch yours, gleaming in lust and love.  
  
You hold your breath, anticipating...and Jonas moves to your thigh, nipping and kissing the tender skin there, and laughing softly when you let out a soft “ohhh” in protest. “Don’t fret, little flower. A little anticipation makes your flavor sweeter when I start tasting,” he murmurs.  
  
His tongue swirls in patterns on your creamy skin, and he moans against you. “How are you so beautiful everywhere? I just want to steal you away and keep you as my own...” He chuckles softly. “Though I suppose I will be once you all move to my country.” He nips the side of your knee, eyes still locked on yours. “I will give you the finest dresses, jewels that will pale in comparison to you...the blue room, the one the angel set you up in, that will be yours, and Johannes’s and Papa’s.”  
  
“I don’t—oh—you don’t need—” you sigh as he caresses your skin, sliding his hands down your legs and back up, heading arousingly close to your center. “I don’t need fancy dresses and jewels. I just...oh gods...I just need you. All of you.”  
  
He laughs softly against your thigh, breath fanning over your skin. “I know you don’t need them, and I know you’re not asking. But I am giving them freely. I want to see you in all the colors a dress can be made in. I want to see your neck and fingers and ears and arms sparkling in the sunlight on the beach.” His voice lowers in a growl. “And underneath those dresses, I never want to see panties on you again.”  
  
His words make your heart beat faster...and his growl makes your inner walls clench, and wetness starts to seep out of you. Your folds begin to glisten in the firelight. “Not even...” you let out a tiny gasp as your scent makes him growl again, and more wetness gathers at your entrance, “not even the special, fancy kind of panties?”  
  
“Hm...perhaps I will make an exception for particularly beautiful ones...but I do not think that any panties will be able to do justice to the beauty of your cunt...” He runs a gentle finger over your folds, moaning at the slickness he gathers. “You are always so wet for us...so beautifully wet...”  
  
Your hips buck and you let out a soft cry at his touch. “I can’t help it,” you say on a gasp. “The way you touch me...the sounds you make...the way you look at me... you make me gush...”  
  
He gathers more of your cream, brings his finger to his mouth and licks it clean, humming. “Good. I want you to gush, I want you to pour yourself into my mouth because I can’t get enough of you.”  
  
You shudder, whining softly in need, and your fingers reach down and tug on his dreads. “Please...please...I need you...”  
  
“And you shall have me, my flower...when I’m good and ready.” His tone is at once teasing and stern, and you shudder again. His finger swirls around your entrance, never quite entering, gathering as much of your essence as he can before licking it off with a hum of pleasure.  
  
His other hand finds its slow, tortuous way up to your breast, palming it hard before he begins rolling and pinching the nipple, pulling more gasps out of you, while still fingering your entrance and scooping up your cream.  
  
You cry out softly in desperation, hips rolling against his touches, back arching. “I love working your body, my flower. Always so sensitive...” Finally, finally, he leans down and swipes his tongue over your folds, and his name falls from your lips like a curse.  
  
The second swipe of his tongue is accompanied by the smooth glide of two fingers into your cunt and your hips lift off the couch as you grind into his face with a wail. His tongue works your clit as he crooks his fingers in you, stroking that one particular spot...making you grind on his face harder.  
  
“Hey,” Johannes says with a grumble. “If you’re gonna do that while people are sleeping, at least gag her.”  
  
You both freeze, and then Jonas starts snickering into your thigh. He looks up at you with a playful smile and murmurs, “Looks like we’ve been caught. You’ll have to be quieter, lovely.”  
  
You let out a breathless giggle. “I’m sorry...just feels so good....” _This is how Earth must feel when he’s eating me,_ you think. “I’ll try to be quiet, I promise.”  
  
Jonas kisses your clit and smiles. “Will you let me help you stay quiet, beautiful?” At your whispered yes, he stands and quickly gets rid of his boxers, then whispers, “Let’s rearrange you, my flower.” In no time he has you kneeling on the couch, half bent over the arm, and he kneels behind you. You gasp as he begins rubbing his erection along your folds..one hand on your hip, the other at your face, reaching around to cover your mouth with his hand. He leans over you, whispers in your ear, “Is this all right?” When you nod, he whispers again, “Go ahead then, my flower, cry into me.” And with that he slides his cock home in one big thrust.  
  
You wail into his hand, his tight grip muffling the sound to almost nothing. He growls lowly against your back, forehead pressing between your shoulder blades. “You feel so fucking good...” he gasps, and his hips swirl against your ass, dragging his cock over your walls deliciously. “Can’t wait until you come around me...”  
  
He begins to move, setting a swift pace, shoving you against the arm of the couch with every thrust. He keeps your mouth covered tightly, and you let go, crying and moaning into his hand freely. The hand on your hip moves around to your front, seeking and finding your clit, and he rubs and presses on it. “Come, my flower, come all over me,” he whispers into your back, over and over, as his thrusts get harder and quicker.  
  
You shriek into his hand as your orgasm hits you like a freight train, and you come hard, squeezing his cock and gushing all over him. He bites down on your back to stifle his own roars of pleasure as he spills inside you, hips jerking with each spurt of hot seed. You collapse under him, and he collapses on top of you, and then you blink as your back begins to sting. “I...I think you may have bitten me too hard.”  
  
“Shit,” he says under his breath. “I’m so sorry, my flower, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He licks the spot he bit, carefully laving it over and over, finishing with a soft kiss, and you gradually realize that the stinging is subsiding.  
  
“Umm, what did you do?” you ask.  
  
You can almost hear Jonas grin as he sits back on his heels, bringing you with him and holding you flush against him, your back to his front, his cock still inside you. “I healed my bite mark.” You turn your head, giving him a look. “You are not the only person around here who can do magic tricks, beautiful. My saliva has a property in it that can help heal you if I bite you. It’s a wolf thing.”  
  
You blink, then grin. “Well, thank you. Though...maybe I wouldn’t have minded having a permanent mark from a king.”  
  
“Oh, my flower, If you weren’t already claimed, I would love to mark you permanently.” You turn your head to look at him, a question in your eyes. “Avatar Country is made up of shapeshifters. A traditional wedding ring wouldn’t exactly work for people shifting into wolf form. So, we do bite marks instead--a bite scar, generally on the neck or shoulder, almost always signifies a mated couple.”  
  
He hisses slightly as you wriggle on his still half-hard cock, and he nips at your neck. “That’s...it sounds surprisingly romantic,” you groan as his hips roll into yours, cock sliding against your inner walls deliciously. You grind down on him, and can feel his cock getting fully erect inside you. “Do all....ahhh...all of you have healing saliva? I don’t think Johannes has ever mentioned it...”  
  
“Yes, we all do,” he says on a groan as you lean your head back on his shoulder, your body pressing even closer to his. “Wolves are a fairly....toothy bunch. Without our saliva, we’d all have bite scars everywhere.” Slowly he brings one hand around to grip your breast, and the other wraps around your neck, resting gently there. “For all Johannes’s wildness, he is very,....self-controlled when it comes to biting. And if he hasn’t bitten you, he wouldn’t mention the healing.”  
  
He feels the shudder in your back muscles as his hand wraps around your throat, and your eyes close as you tilt your head for him. “H-He’s uh...h-he’s nipped before, but h-he’s never drawn blood.” You feel like your skin is smoldering, feeling the king’s cock twitch deep inside you. You clench around him, and the both of you gasp together, but still he doesn’t move yet.  
  
“That...that sounds like...our Johannes...nips...never full bites. Fuck,” he mutters, trying to maintain his own control, so close to the edge... He gently squeezes your neck, not enough to hurt, just enough to let you know his hand is there. “My flower, you would try the patience of a saint.”  
  
You can’t help the grin, oddly familiar, that spreads across your mouth. “I don’t know about a saint, but I’ve tried the patience of a pope before.” There’s a pause, and you both have to smother laughs against each other. Which proves to be more of a trial for Jonas, because your laughs make everything rhythmically tighten and release inside you.  
  
“I heard that,” Papa grumbles from the bed. “And it’s the damned truth, too.” You and Jonas laugh harder, still trying to stifle your giggles.  
  
You hear yawns and the sounds of shifting coming from the bed. “Is it morning already?” an extremely sleepy Earth asks, and you smother an “awwww” against Jonas’s neck. You feel him smile against your forehead, and he wraps his arms around your waist, seemingly content to just hold you on his erection. You close your eyes, relaxing as you hear one of the men moving into the bathroom.  
  
After a few moments, though, the feel of him, rock hard, filling you up, makes it impossible for you not to move...you grind down into his crotch, causing him to moan in your ear, then you lift up, and back down...slowly, gradually picking up speed, impaling yourself on his cock.  
  
Jonas’s nails bite into your hips as he helps you impale yourself on him. He feels so incredible in you, against you...you wail his name, muscles quaking as you work his cock.  
  
You lift your arms up and reach behind you, grabbing on to whatever you are able to reach of Jonas, his dreads, his shoulders, your body elongating as you reach. Both of you are so far gone in your lust that you’re no longer being quiet...you’re chanting Jonas’s name, Jonas is cursing...neither of you notice that you’ve got an enraptured audience: ghouls and wolves alike are watching you from the bed—not saying anything, just watching, some palming their own erections as they do so.  
  
“They’re beautiful together,” Water whispers.  
  
Tim nods. “A king and a goddess...they fit together better than they know.”  
  
Neither of you hear any of this, especially when Jonas snarls against your back and stands. His hands hold your thighs up and apart, and his hips piston into you. You scream his name as his cock drives into your g-spot over and over. You squirt around him, shuddering hard and writhing back against him. Somehow, he bends in such a way that his hand reaches under your thigh and swipes once over your clit, and you’re done. Your orgasm forces your squirting to go even farther, and the men on the bed let out a collective cry of shock when they hear the coals in the fireplace sizzle.  
  
Their cries are followed closely by Jonas’s roar as he comes, sounding very much like the lion he sometimes shifts into as he releases everything he has into you. He carefully drops back onto the couch, and you lie on top of him, both of you panting and spent.  
  
You can’t even open your eyes, but you can tell when the ghouls and wolves surround the couch. “You fucking squirted four feet!” Fire exclaims, awe in his voice.  
  
“It was magnificent,” Henrik murmurs, pulling your hair away from your face.  
  
Papa smiles and leans down, kissing the corner of your mouth. “You are incredible...”  
  
“Not that I... fuck...need praise...but she wasn’t doing that...on her own...” Jonas says in between gasps, a teasing smile on his lips as he strokes your sides.  
  
John snickers. “What, you don’t get enough praise just being alive as king?” Everyone laughs, but they’re clapping Jonas’s shoulder and murmuring acclamations.  
  
Papa chuckles. “All right, all right. Go clean up, the both of you. Some of us have an early trip to our goddess’s former home.”  
  
With a groan, Jonas slowly pulls out of you, then maneuvers you around so he can look at you. “My flower, you are...beyond compare.” He cups your cheek and kisses you softly. You respond, and as the kiss starts getting more intense, he pulls away with a growl. “You’d better get up before I take you a third time.”  
  
Your eyes widen. “A-A...a third time?! Y-You can’t possibly—” An even more intimidating warning growl from the king has you up and into the bathroom instantly. You shut the door, taking a deep breath, and you let it out slowly, ignoring the tremor in it. “He’s...so intense...” You start up the shower, and you blink as you realize that for the first time in a long time, you’re completely alone in a room.  
  
For a second, you hardly know how to act all by yourself. Then you stare at yourself in the mirror. For the most part, it’s still you—same hair, same eyes, same everything. All the changes are on the inside ... but they are such intense changes, you keep staring, thinking it’s got to have changed you on the outside too.  
  
Then, deep in your eyes, you do see it. You’re more confident than you used to be. You’re a lot happier. And you’re definitely a lot more satisfied. You smile faintly, touching an old hickey on your shoulder. So many men to love you...you’re happy that you’ll never have to be alone again.  
  
You know going back to your old apartment is going to be weird, given everything that has happened in the last few weeks, and you sigh. “Well, you want to get your stuff, so you can’t avoid it,” you tell your reflection. “So let’s get going and get it done.”  
  
You turn and start up the shower, stretching in front of it, and then you snort. “I can’t wait until my landlord sees my escort.” A wide, fairly evil grin steals over your lips as you step under the hot water.  
  
You wash, humming at first, but soon you’re full out singing, starting with your favorite Pretty Reckless song and going from there, whatever songs strike your fancy, eyes closed as you rinse your hair. It’s been a long, long time since you’ve felt happy and free enough to sing in the shower, and you revel in letting your voice ring out, not thinking at all about who might hear.  
  
You finish the shower, once again marveling at how nice Papa’s bathroom is, before turning for the door...and stopping dead to see all your men crowded into the doorway. You blink, blushing faintly as all eyes are trained on you. “Uh...I-I just washed, so maybe later?”  
  
Papa comes over, taking your hands with a smile, amusement and love shining in his eyes. “You sing beautifully, love.”  
  
“Wait...you...you HEARD that???” The color drains from your face as you look at Papa and then the others. “Oh no...oh NO.” As fast as you paled, you turn brick red even faster and you try to turn away. “Oh PLEASE don’t look at me, PLEASE.”  
  
Papa blinks, then chuckles faintly. “My love, please, you don’t have to be embarrassed.” He does step forward and shield you from the others’ view. “I would not lie to you, dear one. You sounded lovely.” Everyone chimes in with agreements, and Papa sighs and shuts the door with his foot.  
  
“Of course I have to be embarrassed! If I had thought you all could hear...but I was feeling happy and I just...gods, you all must think I’m an idiot for even trying... And how am I going to look at either of you...”  
  
Papa kisses you firmly to stop your babbling. “Why on earth would any of us think less of you for your singing? You have a beautiful voice—”  
  
“But you and Johannes...all of you...you’re....you’re musicians. You’re...professionals! I’m just.... I’m nowhere close to that level of talent...” You bury your face in your hands. “Ugh, I just...”  
  
There’s a beat of silence, and then you’re suddenly thrown over a shoulder. You yelp as you’re gently tossed onto Papa’s bed, and then you look up to see Johannes and Papa looking at you sternly. “Do you know, ghuleh, what the only thing we have over you is?”  
  
“Talent?”  
  
“No,” he snaps, eyes sparkling in anger. “Practice! That is it!”  
  
You stare at them, dumbfounded. “I... I—”  
  
“If you’re just going to say something terrible about yourself, it’s probably better if you don’t say anything at all,” Johannes says.  
  
“But—”  
  
“No buts!” Papa says, kneeling before you. “Yes, we happen to be some of your favorite artists. But you know what we all have in common? We all love music. It doesn’t matter what form that music comes in. And we love you, and if you make music...” He cups your cheek. “Then it is the sweetest kind of music.”  
  
You stare at Papa for several moments, and then look down at the rumpled bedding. “I don’t know what to say that won’t make you angry ... so ...”  
  
He sighs, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to yours. “I wish you would learn to believe us...” He pauses, then motions for Johannes to come over. “Close your eyes, ghuleh.” You do, and you swallow hard. “Back straight. Shoulders square. Tighten your stomach muscles.” He leans over and whispers to Johannes, “Fiddler’s Farewell.”  
  
You open your eyes a little. “Papa, I don’t understand—”  
  
“Close your eyes, ghuleh.”  
  
“Don’t we have to—”  
  
“Close. Your. Eyes.”  
  
You close them. “I still don’t understand—”  
  
Johannes starts singing, ignoring your words. “I sing one last song by your tombstone...” He trails off, and Papa nods to him and joins him for the next line. “I pay my respects, alone...” There’s another pause, and then Johannes whispers, “That’s your cue, sweetness. Sing with us, all three of us.”  
  
You open your mouth but nothing comes out. “Don’t think, my love, just...feel the music and sing...” The two of them keep singing, and you begin to mouth the words; by the time they are at the chorus, “there goes the summer”, you are singing, not loud, but singing, eyes closed, hands shaking.  
  
They coax your voice with their own, and by the time you reach the last chorus, your voices are blending together with a beauty that astounds everyone. Your voice, high and sweet, Papa’s in the middle ground, and Johannes staying low, weaving and dancing around each other. The song ends, and everyone in the room has goosebumps. You open your eyes and look to Papa and Johannes in shock, totally wordless that you kept up with them. Then you see Fire, John, and Tim putting down their phones and you squeak. “Y-You didn’t record that, did you?!”  
  
“No, of course not,” Fire says. “Why would we do a thing like that? Don’t be so silly.”  
  
You glare at him. “Why do I find that so difficult to believe?”  
  
Fire comes over and jumps onto the bed next to you, wrapping his arms around you tightly and rocking you back and forth in time with his words. “I don’t know, darling! But let’s say, hypothetically, we DID record that ...it would, hypothetically, only be for us, and we would never, hypothetically, share it outside of our little family here, and maybe, some day, when you are singing on a stage somewhere, we could, hypothetically, show you the recording and say ‘remember when you were scared to sing?’ and we would laugh about it and it would be beautiful. Hypothetically.”  
  
You stare at him, letting him rock you, and his beautiful, shit-eating grin has any anger melting. “...Could I at least hear it?” Fire laughs and brings his phone back out and plays you the video. Your eyes widen as you hear yourself—you never knew you sounded that good. And with Papa and Johannes...you look at Fire in shock. “That...that’s me?”  
  
Fire throws his head back and laughs. “Girlfriend, have you met me? I’m a demon, not some sort of wild-eyed video-doctoring wizard that can superimpose your beautiful naked body on some crazy footage of Celine Dion in two seconds flat.” He kisses you then smiles and says gently, “Yes, darling, that’s you. And you? Is fabulous.”  
  
You look at Papa and Johannes, who are beaming at you, and then back at Fire. “I...well, I’m never going on stage. But...” You smile shyly back to the pope and the wolf. “Could we maybe sing another?”  
  
Papa leans down and kisses you. “Of course, my love ... but let’s get ready while we sing, otherwise we’ll never have enough time to get done everything on our list today.”  
  
You grin, then stand and head for your little pile of clothes. “What do you want to sing?”  
  
Papa pulls out a fresh casual suit and looks to Johannes. “Any ideas, love?”  
  
While you, Papa, and Johannes bicker a little and ultimately harmonize on a few rounds of “La Mantra Mori,” Jonas watches you, frowns, and pulls the ghoul nearest to him, which happens to be Aether, aside. “Please tell me that isn’t all the clothing this girl has,” Jonas says quietly.  
  
Aether looks to where you are sorting through your few belongings. “I’m sure it isn’t, as that’s what she wants to get from her old apartment, but as of this moment, it’s all she has here.” At Jonas’s look of disapproval, Aether raises his hands. “Your majesty, I completely agree; however, keep in mind that we literally took her where she stood—there wasn’t time to pack bags, even if we’d thought of it, which we hadn’t because there was no time. And we pretty much went right back on tour—we barely had time to send some sisters out shopping for what she’s got.”  
  
“And how much do you want to bet that she doesn’t have much more to gather at her apartment?” Jonas growls. “We should take her shopping before you go back on the road.”  
  
Aether nods. “Again, I agree. We have I think a week left until we go back on tour. Tomorrow morning after breakfast, we’ll take her shopping, and then when we get back she’ll start training. Is that agreeable, sir?”  
  
Jonas nods, then sighs. “Forgive my tone. But she is such a wonderful woman, that to see her have so little...it rankles.”  
  
“I know,” Aether says as he claps Jonas’s shoulder. “And I am right there with you. But, I warn you, she’s not a material person...not to mention she doesn’t think she deserves to be showered with presents. Convincing her to accept a shopping spree isn’t going to be easy.”  
  
The king frowns, gently tugging on his nose ring, a habit he has while thinking. His voice lowers. “What if we don’t tell her? What if we simply get her sizes from her own things, then shop for her? That way she’ll have no choice but to accept them.” He smiles, enjoying the thought of the look on your face.  
  
Aether looks thoughtful. “Well, you can try, your majesty, but be prepared for anything. She’s stubborn and sometimes a little ...contrary, in case you hadn’t noticed.”  
  
Jonas laughs softly, patting Aether’s shoulder. “Oh, I think I’ve noticed, my friend. And please, I wish you all would stop calling me majesty and what not. I’m your friend. If you won’t use my name, at least use Kungen.”  
  
Aether tilts his head in a mini bow. “Of course, your— Kungen.” He chuckles. “You’ll have to forgive the learning curve...habits and all.” He watches as you and Johannes laugh about something as Papa pretends to look annoyed. “Since we aren’t going along with them, why don’t we get a little surprise organized for her...maybe just a few things to start, so we don’t overwhelm her?”  
  
Jonas nods. “An excellent idea. Why don’t we go right after they leave? You know this place much better than I do, obviously. What stores would be best?”  
  
As they make a plan for later, you, Papa, and Johannes are talking about the trip. “Even if the plane was faster than normal, it would still take too long to get there and back in one day! We are not exactly in the next town over, my love.”  
  
“Well, then how are we going to do this?” you ask. “I hate to be the one to make the problem, but I really do want to get my clothes and my other things that are important to me...and you’ve got this meeting with the clergy, and there’s training...”  
  
Papa sighs. “Perhaps we could wait until tomorrow—”  
  
“Or, you know, you could just ask for some help,” a new voice says, and suddenly you all find yourself staring up at your apartment building. It’s run-down and the bottom story windows are broken. You blink in surprise, then murmur, “Thanks, Satan.”  
  
“Just let me know when you’re done, my treats.”  
  
You look around, suddenly remembering Jonas’s suggestion. “Ugh, we don’t have Henrik or John with us. Do you think we should—” And just like that, Henrik and John are there next to Johannes, both looking only a tiny bit unsettled.  
  
“Christ, when the ghouls say things move fast around here, they sure as hell aren’t joking,” John says with a chuckle.  
  
Papa smirks. “You will get used to it. Now, where did you live, my goddess?” You sigh, and point to the dilapidated building in front of you all. It looks two steps away from falling over, and you hear shouting and glass breaking inside. “...charming,” Papa says, deadpan.  
  
_Well, this is new,_ you think, _blushing from utter humiliation rather than just plain embarrassment. Yay._ “Well, it was the best I could get under the circumstances so...” and you take a few quick steps toward the front entrance.  
  
Johannes walks past and slaps Papa upside the head, then disappears behind you. John and Henrik sigh as the dark pope rubs his head. “That was cruel, Emeritus,” Henrik says, following Johannes. John gives him a look before he too follows.  
  
Papa blinks, then gasps and scuttles inside. “My love, my love, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”  
  
“I’m not sure how else you could possibly have meant it,” you say quietly. “But it’s all right, I know this place is a dump. If I could have avoided bringing any of you here, I would have, trust me.” You turn to the stairwell and start trudging up the steps. “Sorry, no elevator, and I’m on the top floor.”  
  
“I was not trying to say anything against your character. If anything, I think you’re very brave for living here.” He’s wringing his hands again, worry in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”  
  
“Well, my mother always said it’s a fine line between brave and stupid,” you mutter, then you stop and turn to Papa, placing your hands over his to stop his worried movements. “It’s ok, Papa, I’m not really angry or hurt, just...humiliated that you’re seeing exactly what I sank to after I got out of the hospital. That this is the best I could do...” You sigh. “I should have just left everything here, but...well, I don’t have much, but what I do have means something to me.”  
  
“Oh, my love.” Papa cups your cheeks softly. “You did not sink to anything. You survived, just like our wolves. You should be proud that you were able to, even if this place is, as you say, a dump. I’m proud of you.” He leans forward and kisses your forehead softly. You can’t help but smile, but then the moment is cut short when you hear a familiar roar of anger.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which your loves take care of business...in more ways than one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget ... the ‘cast’ of Chiaroscuro has agreed to answer YOUR questions. Submit your questions to us either in the comments here on AO3 or on tumblr (@ghuletteintraining or @girlwiththepapatattoo) – no topic is off limits!

You sigh as you turn to face your landlord, a tall, greasy man with thinning hair and frown lines around his mouth. “Where the fucking hell have you been?! You’re a month behind on your rent! One more week and I was going to send your shit to Goodwill!”

“Crap,” you mutter under your breath. Now that he’s yelling about it, you realize that rent had been due when you went to the concert all those weeks ago; you had planned to drop the check off the next day. “Umm, family emergency, Frank, I’m sorry. I have the check upstairs in my apartment, I’ll bring it down to you.” You take a deep breath. “Also, I’m moving out.” 

“Like hell you are. You haven’t given notice.” 

“I am now.” 

“This ain’t no thirty days, darlin’. You gotta give me thirty days’ written notice.” He sneers. “You can kiss your security deposit good-bye.”

Johannes, John, and Henrik all growl under their breaths, and Papa steps forward. “She will not need it anyway. Move along, scum.” 

Frank opens his mouth to snarl at him, but then notices his two-toned stare and swallows in spite of himself. Nevertheless, he plows on. “Go fuck yourself, weirdo. You her fuckin’ pimp or something? You won’t get much business outta her.” Frank then takes notice of the wolves. “What, you all pimping her out? Or are you assholes customers? Christ, you fuckers must be desperate if you’re willing to pay for a piece of her.” 

One instant Johannes is standing next to you; the next instant the clown is in front of your landlord, the terrifying grin that splits his lips extending even further thanks to the makeup that appears on his face, advancing on him so quickly that Frank backs himself up against the wall, smacking his head against the concrete. “Sounds like you need a lesson in manners. Lucky for you, I am an EXCELLENT teacher.”

You can’t help but grin. This asshole has been a thorn in your side for months. “Johannes, if you want to keep him busy...learning, go ahead. I’ll just go pack my things.” You pat him happily on the back and then keep going up the stairs. Everyone glares at the man on the way up. 

Frank scowls through his shakes. “Y-You can’t hurt me, fucker, I-I have friends in the cops!”

“How nice for you. I have friends in Hell!” you hear Johannes say, his crazy clown voice sounding dark and menacing. 

“Five bucks says that asshole is already pissing his pants,” Henrik says. 

“That’s not even a fair bet, dude,” John says as he punches Henrik’s arm.

You get into your old apartment and burst out laughing, pumping a fist in the air. “That was amazing! I’ve wanted that asshole put in his place for ages!” 

Papa scowls. “A waste of human skin that a decent soul could have used. I hope Johannes doesn’t go easy on him—I certainly did not want to. After he said those things about you...” The air starts darkening around his head—Papa is well and truly pissed off.

“Well, if you’re lucky, Johannes will leave something behind for you to play with,” John says as he pauses to listen before closing the door. 

“Did I just hear him squeal like a little girl?” you ask. John just smiles. “Karma is my favorite,” you say, then turn to look at your apartment. It’s run-down, dingy, and sad-looking, none of which is helped by the musty smell and what looks to be... “Ew! Mouse carcass! Yuck! Dammit, if mice got into my books, I swear...” You cast another humiliated look at Papa, John, and Henrik. “If you promise not to look too closely at this hellhole, I promise to pack fast.”

“My love, do not worry about any of us judging you. We are even more impressed with how you’ve handled this...place.” Papa smirks faintly. “I assume that you do not want to stay here more than necessary. We will help. Do you have bags?” 

You look embarrassed again. “I have a few, but mostly I have boxes...let me get them out.” You move into your tiny bedroom to get them out, yelping as you stub your toe on your tiny desk.

“Stupid desk...” you grumble as you hop on one foot over to the closet. You yank out your two duffel bags for your clothes, then start digging out the boxes...most of which have holes in them from the mice. “Dammit, dammit,” you mutter as you sort through them, trying to figure out which are still usable...and that’s when you find, in the last box, the mouse nest.

You sigh, rubbing your face as you see tiny little pink jelly beans squirming in a nest of paper and cloth, and a momma mouse looking them over. “You’re just trying to survive here, like I did.” You slide the box back into the closet and worry about the ones on the bed. Most of them are usable still, and you tape them up and start throwing things in. John and Henrik come in and grab some boxes as well, leaving to go pack up your books after giving you a kiss on the cheek.

You empty your closet, and yank clothes from the rickety dresser in the corner of the room, trying to work as quickly as you can. You just want out of here. Papa finds you in the minuscule bathroom, tossing personal items into your smaller duffel. “John and Henrik have your books packed. What else do you want? Any of the furniture?” 

“Gods no, most of this came with the place. I’m almost done here.” You stop and look at him. “How sad is my life? This horrid place, my worthless jobs... I should have just let Frank send everything to Goodwill.”

“If these things are important to you, then it is worth the trip. Do not let that...thing out there touch your belongings, my love.” He turns you to face the cloudy mirror, his face next to yours in the glass, a smirk on his lips. His gloved fingers come up and stroke down your jawline, and you shiver. “Would you like a quickie right here, lovely? Watch my face as I fuck you? Leave this place with a good memory?”

You giggle, a little breathless. “Are we able to do quickies? Seems like we need at least an hour every time we touch...”

Papa smirks. “My goddess...we have been together a while now...but do you really think that means you know everything I can do?” He leans forward, keeping eye contact in the glass, and rolls his hips against your ass. “I can make you come in five minutes.”

Even through the mirror, there’s no denying the sizzle of desire in his gaze. You push back against him, hissing a little at the feel of his erection pressing against you. “Promise?”

“Promise...” His hands waste no time in undoing your jeans and yanking them down your legs, then undoing his own pants enough to pull his cock out.. He pulls a glove off and slides his fingers along your entrance, making you moan. “More than ready, as always.” And he strokes his cock into you smoothly.

The noise you make as he slides into you is low, sultry, sinful. “Don’t close your eyes,” he whispers. “Look at me...watch me fuck you...” His ungloved hand moves against your clit as his gloved hand slides into your hair, grabbing hold and keeping you focused on your reflection In the mirror. “Watch me come in you...”

Your arousal ramps higher and higher as you watch Papa’s eyes darken in lust and love. “You are so beautiful, my goddess, so glorious taking me...you’re going to come so hard against my fingers and cock...” His fingers on your clit suddenly makes a motion that feels like ten fingers on your clit instead of two, and you wail his name, legs shaking as you feel the coil tightening in your belly.

“Don’t stop...don’t stop...” you whisper, and his thrusts get faster, harder. 

“I won’t,” he murmurs. “Watch...watch yourself come...” He makes that motion again and you explode, crying out as you gush around his cock and into his hand.

He cries out your name as he spills into you, hips stuttering, before slowing to a halt as he breathes hard against your shoulder. You pant his name, fingers uncurling from around the sink to slide into his hair. “...What was that motion you did?! Holy shit...” you gasp, heart still hammering. 

He laughs into your shoulder. “A secret technique from Satan themselves.” And he sounds so serious that you believe him.

“Remind me....to thank them...next time...we see them...” you say, letting out a breathless giggle as Papa nibbles your neck. “You make me...so hot...so crazy... I don’t even know how...”

Papa smirks into your skin. “It’s my charm, my love.” His nose runs over your skin, inhaling your scent with a sigh. “I love making you lose your mind...but would you like to know a secret?” Your eyes meet in the mirror as he whispers into your ear, “You make me lose my mind too.” Another ten minutes go by before you both exit the bathroom, carrying boxes, your entire body shaking and sweat running down the side of your face. Papa looks smug beyond all reason.

You set the boxes and your duffel bag with the rest of the packed boxes and when you straighten up, John and Henrik are so close to you, you jump. “H-hey, what...” 

John runs his nose up along one side of your neck, while Henrik lifts your hair and scents the back of your neck. Henrik hums. “You smell like you just had a good hot fuck,” he murmurs.

“I...I did,” you say shakily. 

“Would you like another?” He and John both growl into your skin.

“I-I...O-Oh...” You have to admit, even if the thought of them smelling you all the time is embarrassing, you are beginning to really enjoy it. It is such an intimate thing, and it feels so good to have their noses run against your skin... “W-When...w-when we get back, my loves. I just want to go home.” You shiver hard though, and your clit throbs at the feeling of them so close to you. “W-We should, um, go and check on Johannes, see if Frank is still alive...”

“Oh, Johannes doesn’t need our help to take care of good ol’ Frank,” John says in a low voice, a chuckle in his words as he gives your neck a lick. “He’s had plenty of experience dealing with assholes.” 

“We’ll wait til we get home ... but only just,” Henrik adds. “So be ready...”

You shiver hard again, but nod. “I will, I will...” 

John groans. “I’ve been wanting you since you squirted into the fire...fuck that was so hot...” 

Papa, in the meanwhile, has left the apartment, walking down the stairs to see Johannes still grinning at Frank. “We are about ready. Are you done with this worm yet?”

“Done? Why, Papa, we’re just getting started,” the clown says, one large hand pinning Frank to the wall by his neck, the other gripping his balls. Papa can see that the slimy man is worse for wear: his face is moist with sweat, bruises mark his cheek and arms, and a trickle of blood runs from his nose. At least three fingers have been broken, though Johannes looks untouched. “Frank and I are going to be the best of friends, aren’t we...Ffffrrrrraannkk?” As he draws out the name, the clown squeezes the other man’s balls, and Frank squeals again.

Papa laughs softly. “Oh, I’m sure you will be. But our love is ready to go home, and we must plan what we are going to say at the meeting.” 

Frank, it seems, really doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, because he snorts and rasps, “Love? She’s a fuckin’ tramp, comin’ back all hours of the night and morning. She—”

Papa goes demon form so fast that Johannes is nearly knocked down the stairs from the force wave. Frank opens his mouth to scream, and Papa’s hand slams over it, knocking Frank’s head into the wall with a sickening smack, muffling his panicked screams into his palm. “You do not speak of her like that. You do not speak of any woman like that, or any man. You are slime, you are scum, and My Infernal Lord will have great fun torturing the...thing that insulted Their favored. Johannes, my love...rip his balls off.”

With a high-pitched laugh, the clown digs in just far enough to leave marks, and Frank starts to yell into Papa’s hand, then Johannes suddenly stops. “Oh but, Papa, then all my fun is over, much too quickly. And besides, Frank wants me to visit, don’t you, Ffffrrrraaannkkk?” Papa uses his hand to make Frank nod, as he screams. “So I’ll just start ripping now, then come back every few days to rip a little more, won’t that be fun?”

Papa just keeps staring into Frank’s eyes. “Johannes. This scum called our love a tramp, more than once. He insinuated that she isn’t worth loving. He insinuated that she wouldn’t be good in bed. He. Insinuated. That. She. Is. Not. Beautiful.” Then he smiles. “And, clumsy me, he’s seen me in my demon form.” His hand tightens. “He’s not living beyond today.”

The clown frowns. “Papa, you take all the fun out of torturing someone.” He tilts his head, and that terrifying grin is back again. “But ya gotta take ya fun where ya can, don’t ya think so, Frank ol buddy ol pal?”

Papa smirks. “I am sorry for ruining your fun, my love. In return, you may have the pleasure of killing him.” His hand tightens again, and he hears a faint crack as the bone in the side of Frank’s jaw snaps, and the man squeals in pain.

“Ladies and gentlemen, your hero has returned again,” the clown starts singing quietly, right in Frank’s ear, “everything is going to be ok ... hey, hey, Hey, HEY!” He screams in Frank’s ear as he crushes his balls in his hand. Frank’s scream would have been ear-piercing if Papa’s hand wasn’t covering his mouth.

Papa simply smiles, keeping the sound from escaping too far. He watches the blood start dripping from the scum’s pants, and the tears that start falling from the man’s face. “Your pain is delicious...”

“Should have brought my trusty knife,” the clown singsongs. “Easier to take your life, when I have my lovely knife.” He lets out a giggle. “Did you like my poem? I wrote it just for you, Ffffrrraaaannnkk.”

Papa laughs as Frank just whimpers. “I think he enjoyed it, my love. I do not mean to rush, but unless you want our goddess to catch this little performance...”

“Well fuck. You’ve got a point, Papa.” He glances up the stairwell quickly, then looks back at the suffering landlord. “Ahh, Frank, I’m so sorry our time together has to be cut short. But don’t be sad ... maybe I’ll come visit you in Hell ... like I said, I have friends there. And look.” The clown’s grin somehow gets larger and more terrifying. “I found my knife!” He produces a knife seemingly from out of nowhere and slits the landlord’s throat. “Bye, Frank...for now.”

Papa removes his hand, and the only sound now is the gurgling of the dying man as he slides down to the floor. The demon snaps his fingers and Frank’s body is gone, along with any blood splatter. He looks at his clown and smiles, star-light left eye blazing, and he takes the other man’s hand and starts licking the blood off. “Bitter. Not very good, but that’s not surprising.”

The clown closes his eyes at the feel of Papa’s tongue on his hand. “Just goes to show, you can’t have everything, even when you’re a demon.” He opens his eyes, watching Papa work. “Our goddess is right, you know.” At Papa’s raised eyebrow, he continues, “You’re hot when you go all demon.” 

Papa snickers. “I believe she said I was beautiful.” 

“Same thing.” The clown smiles and wraps his free arm around Papa to draw him close, pulling him into a deep kiss. “Hot, beautiful, deadly...” His kiss gets rougher, harsher, and he laughs as he accidentally slices open his lip on one of Papa’s fangs. Papa growls and slides his now-elongated tongue against the tear in the clown’s flesh, and he makes an almost choked sound of pleasure at how good his clown’s blood tastes. His clawed hands hold tight to Johannes’s long hair, and he moves from his mouth to his neck, biting down near his shoulder. Johannes all but bellows at the feeling, before leaning forward and biting Papa in return. “No fair that you get all the fun here!” 

“Be my guest, my love. Sup from me,” Papa groans, lapping at the wound he made and moaning at the way Johannes suckles at his own bite. Thanks to Johannes’s healing saliva, the wound closes quickly, and he pulls back up to kiss the demon, the taste of each other’s blood mixing in their mouths. 

Papa moans into the kiss, and slowly lets his human form filter back. It wouldn’t do to have some random tenant walk by and see a demon standing there. Reluctantly, he pulls away, and he smirks to his clown, who spits into his hand to rub it over the bite mark in his neck. “Come, let us return to our goddess. I’m sure she is curious enough.” Papa takes Johannes’s hand and starts trudging up the stairs. “This place is ridiculous. I think I will lobby the church’s public works division about paying to renovate it.”

The clown energy fades away as they make their way up the stairs, and soon he is just Johannes again as Papa chats about how the building could be renovated. They reach your apartment door and Johannes looks around as they step inside. “Fucking Christ,” he breathes, “thank fuck we’re getting her out of here.”

“I wholeheartedly agree. This place is not fit for anything living.” He steps inside and blinks to see John on the floor between your legs, nuzzling into your still-clothed groin, and Henrik to your side, your shirt pulled up, sucking hickeys into your chest. He chuckles. “I take it you smelled our little bit of fun earlier.”

“Shit, Papa, this smells like more than a little bit of fun,” John said on a groan. “That was a helluva fuck, and you know it.”

Papa grins. “Every time we are with her it’s a helluva fuck, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Henrik stops sucking on you long enough to say, “Yes...so let’s get back to the church. I’m...hungry.”

Johannes laughs and claps Henrik on the shoulder. “Couldn’t have said it better myself!” 

“H-Hang on, I need to give Frank that check.” 

“He said he doesn’t need it. He’s had a...change of heart, it seems.” Papa smiles to you, then calls out, “We are all set, my lord!”

In a blink, the five of you are all back in Papa’s rooms, and in a second blink, your boxes and duffel bags are sitting in a neat pile in one corner of the room. “Did I miss anything, my treat?” you hear. 

“If you did, I’ll let you know,” you say, a little disoriented at how quickly your morning has gone so far.

“Thank you, my lord. Invaluable as always.” Papa feels a kiss on his cheek, as does Johannes. The wolf also hears, in his mind, *What a show, my pup. I’ll tell Frank you say hi.*

*Let him know I’ll be by to visit, that should make him happy,* Johannes responds mentally with a cheeky grin. Satan laughs as their energy slips away. A little cry from you makes Johannes turn his head to see Henrik pulling you into his arms with a little growl. “Told you to be ready, precious.”

John grins, pressing against your side and kissing you deeply, before asking Henrik, “Would you like to eat her first?” 

“Yes, thank you.” He turns you so you lean back against John then drops to his knees, working on your pants. “I want you all over my face, my love...” 

Papa smiles at the scene. “I suppose you’ll have to wait to unpack. Johannes, Special, Jonas, everyone else—we need to discuss the meeting.”

While the others gather around the couch and coffee table and begin outlining the meeting, John rutches your shirt up and slides his warm hands inside the cups of your bra and Henrik roughly yanks your jeans down and off your legs. He buries his nose in the crotch of your panties and growls long and loud. “You and Papa soaked the fuck out of these panties, smells so fucking good.”

You moan in luxurious pleasure at first, arching into John’s warm hands, loving the feel of his calloused skin on yours. But then you hear and see Henrik doing this and you squeak, blushing darkly. “N-Not again! Y-You guys, stop smelling my panties like that!” 

Henrik laughs into the crotch of them. “How can we when they smell so good?” He opens the panties wide for you to see, and, holding your gaze, takes a long lick.

Your blush gets darker and John growls in your ear. “He has a very good point, my dearest,” Jonas says absently as he looks at the list Papa is writing out.

Henrik rips your panties off you and offers them up to John. “Want some?” 

“Yes please,” John replies with another growl, and he releases one of your breasts to grab the material and hold it to his face with a muffled groan. 

“I am in such...big...trouble...” you whisper to yourself.

John laughs against the material of your underwear. “Oh, you have no idea...as soon as you stepped out of that bathroom, we could smell it on you...your arousal, your cum, Papa’s cum...your satisfaction smells incredible...” 

“And now we’re going to feast on it,” Henrik growls, and he hoists your legs up around his shoulders. You gasp as he wastes no time diving in and shoving his tongue as far inside you as he can.

John adjusts his hold on you, and puts the hand holding your panties over your mouth. “Gotta keep you quiet so we don’t disturb their meeting,” he murmurs in your ear, licking the shell and then suckling on the lobe as you cry out into his hand, the sensation of Henrik’s tongue inside you and his nose nudging your clit sending you into immediate overload.

Henrik growls into your pussy, hands keeping your lower lips spread apart. You shudder as you feel his tongue slide along your inner walls, and he moves his head in such a way that his nose is continually rubbing your clit. After the intensity with Papa not too long ago, you’re not going to last long. From the couch you hear Papa say in exasperation, “Of course they are going to ask you about how your time just after Jonas changed. They want all the information they can get!”

You try to keep your hips from bucking, until Henrik stops licking you long enough to say, “No, go ahead, darling, I want you to shove your cunt in my face.” You whine at his words and let go; your hips are soon snapping as you do exactly what he wants while he devours your entire pussy.

He moans loudly as you rub all over his face. He loves it, loves feeling your essence all over his skin. John groans, murmuring praises into your neck, fingers rolling and caressing your nipples.

That coil of sensation deep inside your belly winds tighter and tighter, and your orgasm is so close you can almost see it. You thrash against Henrik’s face, reaching for it, and grunt into John’s hand. When Henrik slides one finger into you, alongside his tongue, and rubs your g-spot hard as his nose rubs your clit, you hear the ghouls and wolves chuckle, and the coil snaps inside you, unleashing your orgasm, and you squirt on Henrik’s face.

Henrik cries out into your cunt as you soak him. His face, his hair—he’s covered in you, and his fingers and tongue and nose move mercilessly on you, drawing out your orgasm and soaking him even further. The ghouls on the couch shudder as they feel it, and John growls into your ear, hips rutting against your back.

Your cries of pleasure, muffled by John’s hand, start to subside, morph into actual sobs. Your orgasm is still twitching through you when Henrik finally pulls his mouth away from you with a rough gasp. “That was fucking incredible...I’ve never been drenched like that before...” He nibbles on your inner thigh. “Do you think you can do that for John too, my love? Come all over his face?” 

“I can.... I can try,” you whimper when John takes his hand away.

John chuckles. “I can wait until later, my love. You and Henrik need to get cleaned up for this meeting thing anyway. Besides,” his nose slides up the side of your neck, “I know for sure you can do it again if you have some time in between....” He nips you playfully, then pats your ass. “Go on then, both of you.” 

Henrik flicks him upside the head. “Yes, dad.”

They stand you up, but your knees buckle and Henrik catches you. “Here, beautiful, let me help you,” and he picks you up and carries you into the bathroom with no effort at all. He sets you on the counter and turns on the shower, then helps you take off what’s left of your clothing. “Quick shower, then maybe I won’t want to crawl up in you and eat you some more,” he says with a playful snap of his jaws.

You laugh through your blush. “I have to admit, I definitely like being eaten...” Then you grin ruefully. “I just worry I won’t have the stamina for training with all of you so...hungry for me all the time...”

Henrik smiles softly, stepping between your legs as the water warms. He kisses you, gently, and you taste yourself on his lips. “My precious, we know your training is important. We won’t do anything you can’t handle.”

“I have such mixed feelings about training,” you say as you stroke his arms and press your forehead against his chest. “I’m ready to start, and I want to learn...but I had such a hard time getting even a little bit of the basics down, I’m afraid I’m not going to learn any of this... What if I’m too dense to get it?”

“My love, you saved Avatar Country. And you did it untrained. I have confidence that you will be able to master whatever you put your mind to.” He leans in and kisses you, an impossibly sweet kiss that has your insecurities melting away.

You press your forehead to his. “I hope so, Henrik.” 

“Hey, half the battle is your mindset, my love.” Henrik taps the side of your head. “You go into it thinking you can’t? Well...you can’t. But you start out thinking you’re already doing it? You’re programming your mind for success.” 

You consider his words. “Makes sense, I guess ... hmmm....” You kiss him back, your hand on his cheek. “Thank you, Henrik. I think that might actually help me.”

Henrik smiles. “Anytime, my love. Just be prepared to work hard.” 

You sigh. “Yeah, I’ve already had a taste...but I’m determined to make you all proud.”

“And I know you will. Come on, I need to wash you off me before I just take you against the counter again.”

You inhale sharply at the visual his words create in your mind, then shake your head. “Gods, you guys turn me on with just your words, you know that?”

Henrik laughs softly and helps you into the shower. “What can I say? We know what we want and don’t mind telling you.” He tilts your head back under the water, letting it wet your hair down. “Exactly. What. We. Want.” His teeth nip against your neck softly.

You sigh at his touch. “I...I like that you all tell me...what you want, what you like, what you’re ...feeling. I don’t feel like I have to guess, or figure it out like it’s a puzzle.” You caress his face and smile softly. “I just... I know.”

He smiles against your skin, fingers helping the water through your hair gently. “I hope that you do the same for us. Whatever you’re feeling, you know that you can tell us and we won’t be put out, right?” 

You hesitate, blushing faintly. “I...I’ll get better with that, I promise. I’m just so used to relying on myself...”

Henrik hums as you return the favor, running your fingers through his hair as the shower soaks it. “I imagine after what happened with your...ex...that it is hard for you to open up and trust anyone, men especially.” He cups your face. “We all understand that, my love, and we’re all here to show you through our actions that you can trust us, open up to us, rely on us... for everything.”

You look up at him, cupping his cheek softly. “I know, Henrik...and part of me wants to. I worked so hard for so long that I just want to lie back and let you all take care of everything...but I...I can’t. My work ethic won’t let me. I can...I can rely on you for some things. Like excellent oral skills,” you say with a grin. “But...But I want to help you all as much as I can. I...I want to be strong, so that I can protect myself.”

“And we want that too, darling, believe me, we do.” Henrik laughed softly. “I suppose I misspoke...I didn’t mean that we want you to rely on us for every single thing. We know you have your own mind and that you’re capable of taking care of yourself. But you have to remember, half of your lovers are wolves—all five of us are alpha wolves whose natural instinct is to take care of our loved ones, especially our lover. It’s a biological need for us to take care of you.”

You blink. “Really? I see...I’ll try to remember that, my love.” You immediately prove yourself wrong by reaching for the shampoo yourself, and he laughs as he grabs it away. 

“That didn’t last long, did it?” He smirks as he pours some shampoo out. “I made a mess, I should clean it up...” You shiver hard at his tone, biting your lip as you watch him slide his hands over your hair.

He lathers your hair, building up the suds as he massages your scalp, then letting the excess suds slide off your hair and onto your skin. He makes a noise in the back of his throat as the soap suds glide along your breasts, your nipples peeking through. “So beautiful,” he whispers.

You shiver hard, nipples tightening under his gaze. “So are you...All of you are so damn gorgeous that I still wonder how you’re all mine...” You take his soaped-up hands and press them eagerly to your breasts, sighing as his calloused fingers glide smoothly over your skin.

“I don’t,” he says quietly. “When I see this courageous, sweet, loving, kind, generous soul ... I don’t wonder at all.” He brings you close to him, kissing you deeply under the fall of water. “You are worth every kiss, every touch, every moment.”

You shiver, eyes welling with joyful tears as you wrap your arms around his neck. The warm water and his even warmer body feel so good, so relaxing, and you melt into his embrace, fingers tangling gently into his wet hair.

After a few minutes, Henrik whispers in your ear, “Let’s finish up here, darling. Papa and Jonas are going to want us both there, I think.” 

You sigh, wishing you could just sit in the shower all day and knowing you can’t. “All right. Let me wash your hair, I love to run my hands through it.”

He smiles. “I definitely will not say no.” He hands you the shampoo and steps under the spray, wetting his hair thoroughly, which due to its thickness takes a while.

He turns for you, and you lather up his hair, sighing in pleasure as you run your fingers through the soapy strands. “You all have such beautiful hair...”

Henrik chuckles. “It’s our good wolf genes, I guess.” You giggle, and soon both of you are laughing as you help each other wash and rinse.

Eventually you come out of the bathroom, refreshed and smiling, and you come over to join the men on the couch. “So,” you say, looking around at everyone. “How’s the planning going?” 

“It’s...it’s going.” Jonas sighs. “This meeting is going to be...well, not easy. But we will get through it.”

“Of course we will.” You rub his shoulder encouragingly. “Is there anything I can do to help?” 

Papa smiles at you. “It’s sweet of you to ask. You are certainly welcome to look over our agenda here...if you see something you think we’re forgetting to include. But don’t you want to unpack your things?”

“Well,” you say carefully. “I suppose it depends on what this council says. If we end up moving to Avatar Country after the tour, then there really isn’t a need to unpack my stuff, is there?” 

Water chuckles. “She has a point.” 

Papa laughs. “Whatever you wish. Anyway, here. The council will want to know what happened while you were alone there. So do not be surprised when they call on you to speak.”

“I sort of figured they would.” While you look over the list, Jonas looks to Aether and nods, and the ghoul grins and goes over to Papa’s closet, bringing out a few clothing bags and small boxes, spreading them out on the bed for when you’re done.

You point out a few things to Papa, but mostly you nod over everything they have written down. “It all looks good.” As you hand the papers back to Papa you take in his expression, the slight tremor in his hand, Jonas’s furrowed brow. “You’re really worried about this, aren’t you? Do you really think the council won’t agree?”

“It is not that, my love. Satan is in favor of this plan, so I’m sure that they will step in if the council are stubborn about it.” The dark pope leans back with a sigh. “However, they may try to separate us, to keep you here to use. Which I do not think Satan will allow to happen, but...I dread the confrontation.” 

You scowl. “Let them try to do that! I’m not leaving any of you, I refuse!”

Jonas takes your hand, kissing your knuckles softly. “It will not come to that, my love.”

“Well, it had better not! I don’t belong to the council, they don’t get to decide what happens to me!” You look around at all the somber faces of your loves. “They wouldn’t dare try, would they?” 

Special spreads his hands out with a shrug. “They may. Lovely girl, you forget, or maybe you just don’t realize, how very powerful—and how very VERY rare—you are. Conduits aren’t thick on the ground...you’re the only one I’ve ever known. Certainly the only one the clergy has ever known. They may not....” He looks at Papa, who nods. “They may not let us take you.”

Tears well up and fall down your cheeks instantly, but then you feel a soft touch on your hair. You turn to look, but there isn’t anything there. Regardless a voice rings out. “Do not cry, my precious treat. They will not go against a direct order from me. I will be there physically, and I will make sure they won’t separate you.” 

You close your eyes, nodding, swallowing hard and wiping your tears away. “Thank you, Satan.”

“Oh my treat, you can truly thank me later,” they say with a chuckle. 

Papa smiles, seemingly brushing his own tears away. “We should probably start getting ready, they are expecting us in about half an hour, and it won’t do to be late.”

“I um...I don’t think I have anything nice enough to wear...” you say, voice small. 

Jonas smiles and offers you his hand, helping you to stand. “Thankfully, Aether and I took care of that while you were gone this morning.” 

He turns you to the bed, and you see three garment bags and four boxes spread out over the bed. Your eyes widen. “W-What did you guys do?!” Papa smiles as he starts changing into his papal robes. He wonders himself what they got you.

“Aether and I had a little time to kill this morning...this is what happens when a ghoul and a wolf get bored.” Jonas chuckles from behind you, then puts his arms around you and presses a kiss to the top of your head. “It’s not much...at least nowhere near what I want to do and what I think you need and deserve. We just wanted to surprise you, make your eyes sparkle.” He lays his cheek against your temple. “Did it work?”

You bite your lip, leaning your head gently into Jonas’s temple in return. “I..I’m not used to gifts like this...I always feel awkward accepting things. But...” You look at Henrik and remember his words. “I-I’ll try not to...not to put up a fuss.” 

Aether laughs softly. “I suppose that’s better than what we thought would happen. Darling girl, you are adorable. Go ahead, open them up!”

You look at them both, suddenly feeling shy and awkward, and then Fire is there, grabbing your hand. “Come on, girlfriend, let’s see what royal taste looks like these days! We’ll dress you up and see if we can make Johannes’s tongue fall out!”

You look at the man in question and he’s watching you with dark eyes, which makes you flush even more and swallow. To distract you from the wolf who seems to want to eat you alive (again), you turn to the first garment bag and open it. Inside is a beautiful black dress, the silky material feeling like water through your hands. You gasp, eyes wide as you look at the jewels sewn around the waistline, sapphires and moonstones sparkling in the light. You look at Jonas and Aether, speechless, then start looking for a price tag, and you frown when you see they’d taken it off. There’s also matching lingerie and shoes, and you just know the smaller box is jewelry. “You guys...this one outfit would have cost me more than I made in a year!”

“That’s just speculation,” Aether says, and he comes over and kisses you. “You have no proof. And anyway, you’re going to look absolutely stunning in it, so we had no choice but to get it for you. We have a physical need to see you wearing it. You wouldn’t deprive us of a physical need, would you?” 

“But—”

“Ah-ah-ah,” Aether interrupts you, laying a finger over your lips. “You said you wouldn’t put up a fuss. This? Is the beginning of a fuss.” 

You stare at him, your independence and your need to be frugal warring with the impractical side of you that hasn’t been indulged in far too long. “Come now,” Jonas whispers. “Let us do this for you... let us spoil you... let all of us spoil you...”

Aether smiles and picks up the jewelry box next to the dress. “Open it, darling. Please.” Hands shaking, you take the box and, after hesitating only a second, you open it. Inside is a necklace and earring set, matching sapphires and moonstones over silver that are worked into a vine pattern. You gasp at its beauty, tears rolling down your face—you have no idea how to take gifts like this. “It’s...oh, Aether, Jonas, it’s so beautiful...”

“It doesn’t even come close to being as beautiful as you, my precious flower,” Jonas says. “You deserve all this and so much more.” You shake your head, then throw yourself at Aether, burrowing your face into his neck.

Aether laughs, hand cupping the back of your head, pressing his lips to your hair. “And this is just the first one, my love. You still have two more.” 

“That she doesn’t have time to open right now, if this is her reaction to all of them,” Papa says, a grin in his voice. “Come, get changed, my love, we have ten minutes.” 

Jonas frowns at Papa. “Ruin our fun, will you?” But he smiles to show he is just joking.

“Only temporarily, my friend.” Papa chuckles. Quietly, he adds, “Thank you for this...we’ve all wanted to give her everything, but she is...prickly when it comes to gifts. Now that you and Aether have opened the door, she may be a little more receptive.” 

Meanwhile, as Fire helps you with the lacy merry widow and the garter belt, you say, “You know your way around the lingerie, don’t you?” with a giggle. 

“Well, after years of helping so many lovely ladies out of this stuff, you eventually learn how to get them into it as well.” He chuckles. “Fucking hell, you look good enough to eat, love.”

You blush faintly, but grin. “I’ve never worn anything like this before. It feels...weird. Good, but weird.” 

Earth and Water walk into the room suddenly, carrying some trays. “We thought we’d get everyone a light breakfast and...and...” Water trails off as he sees you standing there, and Air quickly takes the tray from Earth as he’s about to drop it. “Oh my sweet Satan...”

“Breathe, little brother,” Air says to Earth with a chuckle. “Gotta breathe or you’re gonna faint.” 

Earth just stares. Finally, you spin slowly around, smiling shyly. “Do I look all right?” 

“You... you... well. You...ha. Ha. Well.” Earth shakes his head. 

“My darling girl, I do believe you broke our Earth,” Aether says with a laugh. 

“Broke Earth? She’s fucking killing me!” Water blurts out. “For the love of Satan, woman, you’re actually killing me!”

You blush darkly, shifting from foot to foot at the attention. “Blame Jonas and Aether, they picked these out!” 

“We will take all the credit happily,” Jonas says, laughter in his voice. “Come, come, let us see the dress on you!” 

Fire slips it over your head, and the silky material makes you shiver as it slips down your skin.

You look down at yourself, moving your hips from side to side to make the skirts swish against your legs. You would swear your skin is shimmering, and once the dress settles on you, it feels like you’re not wearing anything at all, it’s so light and filmy. You spin around once, watching the skirts float around you. Finally, you look up, startled to see every ghoul and wolf in the room staring at you, gazes dark, full of lust and love and need and want.

Johannes actually licks his lips, and he grins. “Oh, sweetness, the things I could do to you with that dress on...” 

“A-As long as you don’t rip it!” you retort, goosebumps raising on your skin. Jonas steps behind you and slips the necklace around your throat, fingers stroking the back of your neck as he settles it. Aether gently slips the earrings on you and secures them, and the room lets out a collective breath. 

“You are...that is...” Tim seems lost for words as he stares at you.

As Johannes steps close to you, Jonas says, “Almost forgot,” and he opens one of the boxes to produce a pair of strappy black heels. “Here, help her put them on,” he says with a smile as he gives Johannes the shoes. You carefully perch on the edge of the bed so you don’t wrinkle the dress, and watch, a lump in your throat, as Johannes gets down on one knee, and caresses first one foot and then the other in his large warm hands, sliding the heels on your feet. You stand up, looking down at him, and then he slowly rises to his feet, his hands whispering along your sides, until he’s standing close to you, looking down at you with the most indescribable expression on his face. 

“Truly a goddess,” he whispers.

Your heart is hammering in your chest as your hands curl around his arms. You couldn’t look away right now if your life depended on it. Slowly, slowly, the backs of his fingers caress over your cheeks, and he leans down, nose nudging yours. “Come on,” he rasps, lips just barely brushing yours. “Let’s go before I don’t let you leave this room...”

“I...I have to warn you all...I’ve never owned heels like this before, so...so it may take me a few minutes to get used to walking in them...”

“I won’t let you fall,” he whispers. 

Papa, resplendent in his papal robes, comes up alongside Johannes, and hands Johannes his hat and cane. “That I can say you two are my loves ... I am a demon blessed.” He cups both yours and Johannes’s cheeks, and both you and Johannes turn and kiss his palms.

Special smiles at the scene, and he snaps his fingers. Instantly, everyone else is dressed in their best—Jonas is in all his court regalia, including crown, and his men are in their court clothes that reflect their stations. All the ghouls look immaculate in their uniforms. “Shall we?”


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone confronts both fear and truth...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it: the conclusion of Chiaroscuro, Part One! We cannot believe that we are finally sharing this last chapter with you! From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank everyone who has come along on this crazy ride! Your support has been overwhelming and we love you all! 
> 
> But fear not! Just because we're concluding Part One tonight does not mean the story is over! Oh, it’s far from done! We’d like to announce to you all the title of Part Two: 
> 
> **Chiaroscuro: Aura**
> 
> which debuts its first chapter here and on Tumblr on March 7th! We can't wait to share the next part of this story with you!
> 
> Remember, during our hiatus, we’ll be accepting questions for the “cast” and we will answer them in their voices! So please, send in your questions either in the comments here or to @girlwiththepapatattoo or @ghuletteintraining on Tumblr, and we’ll post answers on Thursdays the same time that we would normally post chapters-- after all, it wouldn't be nice to leave you all hanging for two weeks! 
> 
> Happy Thursday everyone! <3 <3 <3 Thank you so much!

“Do I look all right?” Johannes asks you with a wink as Papa nods to Fire, Water, and Earth and they head for the door. 

“You’re gorgeous, my wolf,” you reply with a giggle. 

Fire, Water, and Earth lead the way. Papa and Johannes are on either side of you, your arms linked with theirs, and the three of you follow. Behind you is Jonas, surrounded by Tim, John, and Henrik, and Aether, Air, and Special are the last, protecting everyone’s backs as the entire group sweeps regally down the hallway.

Brothers and sisters bow and curtsy as you all make your way to the meeting hall. On the way, Johannes is warning his friends. “It’s dark as fuck in there, and I guess you can’t stop moving or you’ll end up at the door again.” Papa opens the door and steps inside, and instead of it being the same meeting room, there’s a long table and dozens of chairs around it. Several of them were occupied, one by Sister Imperator, and one by Satan themselves. 

“Oh, yes,” Jonas says, grinning. “It’s so dark in here.”

Johannes gives his king the finger as he looks around, slightly taken aback by this change from before. Meanwhile, you’re carefully ignoring Sister Imperator even as you incline your head at Satan and the other ... beings sitting around the table. They are all cloaked, and you can’t see any of their features ... you can’t tell if they’re human, or demon...or something else.

You all have a seat, you sitting in between Papa and Johannes. Once everyone is settled, Imperator stands. “We bring to order this very important meeting about recent events. My Lord Satan, we are humbled that you have joined us in person today.” 

“Yes, well, I know how you all like to drag out decisions. And I also know how you will vote on a certain decision that I have already made up my mind on. So I’m here to make sure what I want to happen, actually happens.” It’s said cheerfully, but Their gaze is terrible as it sweeps over the other Council heads and Imperator.

Imperator huffs but says nothing. One of the cloaked figures says it for her. “I am sure I don’t understand. If we’re to make decisions, but My Lord Satan has already made the decision, then what are we doing here?”

Satan looks at the figure who spoke as if to say they are fairly certain they don’t understand what he is doing there either. “Because I wish for you to be informed. Is that a problem?”

Special pipes up. “What our Lord means is that the conflict with the angels is not over, and we need to know everything that happened in order to extrapolate what they may do next.” 

“O-Of course, my Lord Satan, I did not mean to imply—” 

“Save it,” Satan says tiredly. “Now to start from the very beginning, I call on the King of Avatar Country and his Inner Circle. Please, tell us everything you remember from when Jonas first got possessed.”

Jonas clears his throat. “I was... This was many years ago, so many I don’t even know precisely now. I wasn’t feeling well, which is unusual for shapeshifters. I should have known then something wasn’t right. But I wasn’t well, not at my usual full strength after several days of fighting off....I suppose I was fighting off the angel. And finally it...” Jonas pauses. “One minute I was in the driver’s seat of my body; the next minute I was shoved out of the driver’s seat, and the angel was in control.”

Tim nods. “Everything had been fine that day until we saw his...his entire bearing change.” 

“Everything down to the way he walked and the way he looked at things was totally different,” Henrik says, eyes staring at the table as he remembers. 

“We didn’t know what had happened. We didn’t know that angels or demons or what have you existed at the time, so we...we couldn’t figure out why he changed,” John says mournfully. 

“Johannes, you took the brunt of his ire, correct? Tell us why and when you started questioning him,” one of the cloaked people says, voice deep and oddly soothing even as it raises the hair on your neck.

“Well, I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m a contrary, stubborn asshole who likes to argue and hates to take orders,” Johannes says matter-of-factly. Papa, Special, Air, and Satan all snort loudly. “After that weird shift in his bearing, none of us really noticed anything different right away, but over time our king’s behavior changed; he became harsh and cruel. He started sending me out on...missions. I refused. I started questioning him. We all started questioning him, but the others backed down when he got angry, when he threatened us or threatened loved ones. Except me, because I didn’t have anyone he could threaten. And I didn’t back down because ... well, as I said, contrary, stubborn asshole.”

“And what kinds of missions were these? Jonas, were you still aware of what was going on around you at this time?” 

Jonas nods. “I was aware. I...I didn’t let my consciousness fade for a while, trying every minute of every day to get my body back.” He looks down, swallowing, but firms himself and looks back up. “I could hear the angel’s thoughts as he had them, but I was powerless to do anything about it.”

Johannes purposely doesn’t look at his king. “The missions were...assassinations. The angel sent me to take out anyone he wanted out of the way. Citizens of Avatar Country who questioned what was happening to him, at first, and those were the ones I fought hard against. For obvious reasons. Then it went beyond our borders. I was taking out people he... wanted gone, for whatever reason. He didn’t explain it to me. I’m assuming they were innocents, people who were doing good things, things that were contrary to his and his group’s plans.”

“Did anyone keep records of who you were sent to kill? Did you, yourself? If their main goal is to wipe out our Divine Discord’s voice on this Earth, they may have all had connections to us.” 

“We asked the same thing ourselves,” Jonas replies. “I do not remember if the angel did or not, but I am planning on searching very thoroughly once we return.”

One of the other cloaked beings who had been silent so far finally speaks. “Johannes, you said you resisted the angel, that you fought. Why did you stop fighting?” 

“Well, the daily whippings that lasted for months on end took the fight out of me, I’d say,” Johannes snaps. You can feel a little bit of the clown rising to the surface, and you grab his hand under the table and shoot a bit of your energy and... _hmmm, that feels like Henrik’s energy_ , you think, _that should help_...into your wolf. He looks at you sharply, then turns back to the clergy members. “So, yeah, I gave up. The pain was too much. I was tired, and...and I think...he would have killed me. So I gave in. Became the clown. It was easier.” 

“Daily whippings?” Imperator asked. “May we see the scarring?” 

“It’s gone.” Johannes squeezes your hand.

Imperator frowns. “Scars like that cannot simply disappear. What happened?” 

“I took them away. Though I don’t know how,” you admit, staring right into the Sister’s eyes. 

She scoffed. “Healing of that magnitude takes decades of training. A little untrained chit like you—” 

Satan clears their throat, and Imperator’s mouth snaps shut. “I will thank you not to insult my Favored, Imperator. She is more powerful than you know. In all my millennia I have never seen a conduit as strong as she is. Proceed, my treat, my pup. Tell of the night you took his scars away.”

You look at Johannes, nervous. You hadn’t been expecting to talk about this. “He was...upset. He has a lot of guilt about the things the angel made him do, and sometimes it’s… too much. He was thinking about leaving here...leaving us...and I didn’t want him to go.” You close your eyes, think back to that night. “We were...” Dammit, the last thing you want to do is blush in front of Sister Fucking Imperator, you think, but here it comes anyway, yay. “We were having sex and I was very intent on making him stay, keeping him with me, with us, and I remember thinking how perfect he is...” You remember what Henrik said to you that morning, and some of what you did is starting to make sense now. “And...and the room glowed with flames...and I...” Now you look at Satan, wishing desperately that you didn’t have to say these things in front of everyone. “When we... came... the flames sort of exploded too, and then...” You look at Johannes again. “Did I faint? I fainted, didn’t I?” He nods and you face Satan again. “When I came to, his scars were gone.”

Imperator stares at you. “...You used unholy healing flames untrained?” 

She looks at Satan, who is beaming like a proud parent. “I was shocked too! Of course, she almost killed herself doing it. If our adorable little Earth hadn’t been there, to pump natural energy back into her...” Earth blushes faintly behind his mask and ducks his head.

“She should not be running around loose when she doesn’t know what the hell she is doing!” Sister Imperator exclaims. Some of the cloaked beings nod vigorously. 

Satan drums their fingers on the table. “She has been either here in the church, in Avatar Country, or on the tour bus, and she is always with at least one of these men. That’s hardly what I would call ‘running around loose’.”

“My lord, you know perfectly well what I mean! Someone with her kind of power, untrained...could be catastrophic. If she gets angry enough, she could blow us all to smithereens! I still have her handprints on my desk!” 

Earth, on the other side of Johannes, whispers, “I told you.”

“This is not a frivolous matter, Earth Ghoul!” Imperator raises her voice and Earth cringes, but only a little. “This conduit is dangerous!” 

Your eyes widen. “Excuse me?” 

Papa puts a hand on your shoulder. “Exactly when did the conduit become part of the agenda of this meeting?”

“She is not,” Satan says. 

“But, my lord, you are letting a time-bomb roam the streets unchecked—” 

“DO YOU THINK ME AN IDIOT, IMPERATOR?!” Satan roars, and some dust rains from the ceiling. They glare at the old demon woman, who clasps her hands together on the table to hide their shaking. “She is due to start training today, under the watchful eyes of Papa and the ghouls. In six days they go back on tour, where Aether will continue her training in little things on the bus in between shows. Now, if you don’t mind, back to Jonas and Johannes.” 

“...my apologies, my lord,” Imperator murmurs. For all her snark and vinegar, she is not a stupid woman, and she knows when she’s overstepped.

It takes every bit of restraint you have, and some you don’t, to keep from sticking your tongue out at Sister Imperator. “So,” a cloaked being says quietly, “once the angel had you under its control, it basically had all of Avatar Country under its control, is that true, Johannes?”

The wolf stares at the table for a few long moments, then looks up. “Yeah I guess you could say that. I didn’t realize at the time that as I go, so goes the fate of Avatar Country, but there it is.”

Another hooded being speaks up. “Due to the whippings, you said you became the clown. What does that mean exactly? Is it another personality?” You look at him worriedly, giving his hand another squeeze, letting him know you’re there for him.

Johannes frowns. “Ahhh, sort of? More so back then, before I...came here. Now it’s more like an energy that I call on when I need to.” He looks at you, love shining in his eyes. “Another thing I can thank the conduit for, I suppose.”

“And what does that mean?” Imperator asks. 

“It means that when her energy broke through, it changed the essence of the clown, so it is no longer my personality, the way I am all the time. It’s just a small part of me.”

The hooded figure tilts his head in curiosity. “And you can call on that energy whenever you want? Could you do it now?” 

You frown. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea...” 

Satan chuckles. “As long as Johannes is all right with it, I’d love to meet the clown in person. It is up to him, though.” Papa frowns over at the wolf, gauging his reaction.

Johannes sighs. “It’s easier for me to call it up if you piss me off, or threaten someone I care about, so let’s just keep this meeting going, you’re bound to meet him eventually.”

Satan grins. “Oh, I’m sure that’ll happen here. So, Johannes, how did things change in Avatar Country? What did this angel possessing Jonas do to shake things up?” 

Tim speaks up. “If I may?” 

Satan grins again. “Oh, someone with manners here. Please, Tim.” 

He nods his head. “The angel put a lot more emphasis on building our armies, making us stronger. Trade deals fell off and he didn’t care. Most of our allies abandoned us. We have been...struggling, the last few years especially.”

“Struggling how?” 

Tim shrugged. “With no allies, and agreements ending ... our import/exports have been off. We’ve always been isolationist to some extent, mostly because of the shapeshifting, but we’ve been essentially cut off.” Tim glances at Jonas, then says, “The worst thing is that our citizens have lost faith in their king.”

Jonas’s fists clench on the table, and he looks down, then back up. “Which I am going to work hard to restore. I have been gone for long enough.” 

Tim, Henrik, John, and Johannes all nod and salute their king. 

“Which, I believe, brings us around to part of the reason for this meeting.” Papa stands. “I know that my time here is coming to an end, and I would rather still be useful to the church. Despite what some of you might think,” and he looks pointedly at Imperator, “I do love this church, and I love our Lord. And so, I am proposing that we do what we have wanted to for a long time. I propose we expand, and make a branch of the church in Avatar Country. His Majesty Jonas has already welcomed the idea with open arms.”

Imperator stared at Papa. “And just who would be in charge of this branch?” she asked, her tone dripping with acid. 

Papa tilted his head just a bit. “My ghouls and I, after I am done as the official Papa.”

Imperator stares at Papa, scowling. “...the idea is not without merit. But why should you be in charge? Plead your case, Emeritus.” 

He nods. “For one, I already have a friendly relationship with the king.” Papa nods to Jonas, who smiles and nods back. “I also have a romantic relationship with Johannes, who is still in the inner circle.” Johannes takes Papa’s hand and kisses his wrist softly, and Papa smiles to him, then turns back to Imperator. “I also know how to run a church, so you will not need to waste time training someone else in supplying and whatnot. With my ghouls with me, we will be able to perform at mass still, and considering Avatar Country is a country whose main commerce is, somehow, metal music, that would fit in well. Jonas and I have also spoken about what we would each get out of it, so we do not have to waste more time negotiating.”

“Hmmmph.” Imperator says nothing; Papa’s arguments are sound. “And the ghouls do not have a problem with leaving their home, starting over in a land they know very little about?” She looks at them all. “Air? Fire? Aether? You are the ones with the most opinions. What do you think about this proposal? And DO NOT just spew the party line because it’s what your precious Papa wants. What do YOU think?”

The ghouls in question look at each other, then Fire speaks up. “I don’t mind it. To be honest, I’ve been itching for some adventure. This will be a good one.” Air, quiet as always, nods in agreement. 

Aether speaks up, “Besides, ma’am, as much as you don’t want us to say it, all of us want to go where Papa goes. And now, also, our darling conduit.” 

Imperator scowls and opens her mouth, and Satan jumps in. “And here is that decision I was talking about. She goes with Emeritus, Imperator.”

Imperator looks like she is about to implode, and you are finding it increasingly difficult to keep from laughing. “My Lord, I must respectfully and strenuously object.” 

“And I must strenuously overrule your objection.” 

Imperator looks at you, and she is shaking, her implosion looking more and more imminent. “Don’t think. Not even for a moment. That I don’t see what is happening here.” You say nothing. 

“Exactly what do you think you see?” Papa asks. 

“I see a leader of this church besotted! I see our work pushed to the side so this romeo can chase some tail! Risking everyone’s safety so he can have sex with his latest conquests! I will not approve of this...this slut being allowed to represent this church even tangentially!” 

Johannes stands, but he’s not Johannes anymore. The makeup has appeared on his face, and the clown is grinning wildly. “Oh, I KNOW you didn’t just call our goddess a slut!”

Papa snarls, his horns appearing on his head. “Please, bitch, repeat that and give me a reason to finally be rid of you!” 

Satan says nothing yet, but you can see a muscle jumping in their jaw. You, meanwhile, scowl and stand as well. “I was told time and time again that this church doesn’t slut-shame. That one is not ridiculed for their desires. But I suppose that you are just like the Christian hypocrites, huh? Do as I say, not as I do?” 

“How dare you?!” Imperator snarls. “I am nothing like those—” 

“Bullshit! Bull-fucking-shit! You are exactly like them, and you give this Church a bad fucking name.”

“These fools have done you no favor, making you think you are a miraculous being, just because you fuck them all,” Imperator hisses. “You are an untrained, undisciplined mess who should be kept under lock and key unless needed for legitimate energy issues, not passed around like a champagne bottle on a high unholy day!”

To everyone’s shock, Earth stands, slamming his hands on the table, a long crack appearing in the dark, polished wood. “Listen here, you horrible old goat! We don’t...we don’t keep her with us because of the sex alone! We love her! Something that your evil, shriveled-up heart could never understand!” He steps around Johannes and grabs your hand. “And I won’t let my love listen to any more of your poison!” And he scuttles out of the room, taking you with him.

“Slow...slow down...Earth, I can’t go that fast in these shoes!” He comes to a quick stop right outside the door as it shuts. “Earth, what just ... where did that come from? I thought you were terrified of her!” 

“I was... well. I am. But she isn’t talking like that to you. No one is.” 

You kiss him. “Oh Earth, thank you. I love you.” Then you look at the door. “But as much as I appreciate it, I think maybe we should be in there. I don’t like being called a whore, but I’d rather the bitch do it to my face than when I’m on the other side of a door.”

He looks stricken, and then embarrassed. “But...well. We kind of just stormed out...It would be really...um...weird if we just went right back inside...” 

“Well, that’s true...but don’t you want to see Johannes put her in her place?” you ask with a grin. “Because I really want to see that.”

He blinks, and then a grin curls his lips. “I guess...well. That would be worth it.”

At that moment, the door opens and Fire pokes his head out. “You need to get in here.” He looks at you. “NOW.” 

You step back inside the room to see the clown, wicked grin firmly in place, advancing on Sister Imperator, backing her up to the wall. The cloaked clergy members are backing away too, terrified, trying to stay out of his way. Papa and Jonas are both trying to talk him down but the clown’s laugh shrieks through the room. “They wanted to see me, so guess what? They’re seein’ me!” 

“He won’t listen to any of us...” Fire says quietly. “Not even Jonas. And Satan....” Satan is doing nothing, you see, just watching the show. “Maybe he will listen to you.”

“No. Fucking. Way.” Air is at your side. “I won’t allow it. Not after...”

You scowl at Air. “I’ll have words with you later.” You push into the room and move as fast as your shoes allow. Halfway down the table you get fed up and slip them off, then run down the rest of the way and plunk down in front of the clown. “Stop, please.”

“Say please all you want. Manners don’t matter,” the clown said, his eyes focused on Imperator. 

“She’s not saying please, I am. And I’m asking you to stop. Please.” 

“And I’m telling you no. Please.” Finally the clown looks at you and the grin falters for just the tiniest second, then firms up again. “You don’t really want me to stop ... you don’t like her either.”

“Look, we all know I don’t like her. Hell, I’m not sure anyone in here does. But that does not mean I want her dead. Yes, she insulted me, and my loved ones, but I’m sure that Satan is going to put her in her place, and we don’t have to do anything.” You hesitate, but then reach out, ignoring the shaking in your fingertips, and you try to touch the clown’s face.

He snaps his teeth at your fingers, and you pull them back—not all the way, just enough that he can’t reach them. “No touching.” He turns his attention back to Imperator. “Now where were we? I can’t remember....oh wait. I remember. We were at the part where you apologize.”

“She will, but not because you force her! Please, please just back down! Bring Johannes back!” Your eyes glance around quickly—you see Papa ready to step in if the Clown gets physical. Air is looking like he wants to murder everyone in here. Earth is staring at the Clown, at a loss of what to do. And Jonas...Jonas sits down, hard, staring. Henrik squats next to him, opening his mouth to ask if he is all right, but he hears Jonas whispering, “This is what that angel made him into?!” Tears splash down his face in horror.

“We won’t force anyone...we’re just going to convince her...what was the word you used, dearie? Strenuously.” His hand moves to Imperator’s neck and she inhales sharply.

“If you want to convince someone, convince me,” you say quickly. 

“NO,” Air roars.

You cast him a quick look. “Air, I have an idea, but you have to let. Me. Do. This.” He stares at you, then nods, his expression one of stone. You turn back to the clown. “Convince me,” you say to him. “Let Imperator go and convince me.” 

For the longest moment, it seems he isn’t going to let her go. Then, in a heartbeat, he slams Imperator against the wall, throws her down on the floor, then grabs you and pushes you against the wall. “Lovely. Now we can play.”

You swallow hard. You know you can’t stop your trembling, but you do your best to keep it together. “W-We...we’ve played once before, do you remember? A little over a month ago, when you first came here.” Everyone waits with bated breath—they aren’t sure what you are doing, but what you’ve done has worked in the past. One of the hooded figures gently pulls Imperator away and to the other side of the room, and for once she doesn’t argue.

“Mmmmmm,” the clown hums as he puts his nose close to your hair and sniffs. “It’s been a while...maybe you should remind me.”

Papa grits his teeth, but he stays where he is. You swallow hard, keeping your eyes open as you stare at his shoulder. “I-I think that maybe you should let Johannes come back out.”

The clown laughs. “I will...when I’m ready.” 

“But I’m ready now,” you say, and before he can stop you, you grab his face in both your hands, bring his head down to yours, and kiss him.

The clown snarls and bites your lip hard, making you cry out as you jerk your head away from him. Blood spills down your chin from the split in your lip, and Papa and the ghouls cry out and start forward, but you fling a hand out. “N-No! S-Stay there, I’m fine!”

“We’re fine, we’re fine,” the clown says in a growly singsong voice. “Aren’t we just fine?” He leans down really close to your face, making you watch him lick your blood off his painted lips. “Aren’t. We. Just. Fine.”

You swallow hard, tasting your own blood, and you nod slowly. “Y-Yes. We’re fine. C-Can you...” You swallow again. “C-Can you tell me, Clown, why you stuck up for me against Imperator, b-but seem to have no problems making me bleed?”

“I have no problems making anyone bleed. I’m equal opportunity,” he says with a wicked giggle. He sniffs your hair again then says, “We’re not playing. If we’re not going to play, then why are we doing this?”

You don’t move, even as your hands tremble at your side. “I-I suppose that depends on how you want to play...W-We could find a deck of cards? P-Play strip poker?”

“Or-rrrrr....we could skip the poker and go straight to the stripping.” The clown grabs you by the arms and yanks you close to him.

You gasp, swallowing hard as he presses close to you, nose burying fully into your hair. His hand fists into your dress, and you gasp as you realize his intentions. “No!” you cry and grab his wrist. “It was a gift from your king! Please, don’t, please!”

He stops and looks at you. Really looks at you. “My king? Gave you a gift?” 

You nod. “Yes, he did.” You hold his gaze. “And I want to give you a gift too.”

“And it’s not even my birthday.”

You manage to smile faintly. “I didn’t want to wait.” You swallow. “M-My gift is a kiss, freely given. A-And I assume that now that it’s...seasoned, it will be even better.” You motion to the blood covering your lower lip and chin.

The clown looks at you, eyes glittering. “You assume correctly.” He brings you even closer. “What are you waiting for?”

You smile, then hold his gaze as you lean forward and capture his lips in a kiss. And as your lips meet his, you pump some of your energy into the Clown’s body.

You let your tongue lick his lip, just a bit, tasting the makeup that has risen to its surface, and pump a tiny bit more energy into the clown. His grip on your arms tighten, the kiss deepens, and you feel the split in your lip heal. He wraps his arms around you tightly, and you know the clown has faded, and Johannes is back. You break the kiss, look deep in Johannes’s eyes. “Hey. Welcome back.”

He looks down at you, at the blood over your lip and chin. A tear makes its way down his cheek, then another, and he falls to his knees and presses his face to your belly, arms wrapped tight around your middle, and he sobs into your dress. Your hands slide gently through his hair, and you get on your knees, burying your face into his neck. “It’s okay, my love, it’s okay...I’m not upset with you, or even with the clown. It’s okay...”

“I just couldn’t...stop...couldn’t get back,” Johannes says quietly, near your ear. “I was so pissed with that bitch, that she said those things about you, and then I couldn’t get back, and I panicked, made it worse...” 

“Shhh, it’s ok, you just needed a little help, that’s all,” you whisper. “And you scared the living fuck out of Imperator, so that was nice.” 

Johannes laughs a little. “How about the dead fuck? Did I scare that too?”

You giggle into his ear and nod. “Yes, my love, that too.” 

Satan stands, tail lashing. “So. You’ve seen the Clown. I do hope that he was to your liking. Imperator. Not only do you owe her an apology, but you owe her your thanks for saving your life. I am Not. Happy. With you right now, so you better make it fuckin’ sincere.”

Imperator sits in a nearby chair and lifts her chin. “I... I thank you for your help. And I... I apologize for my harsh words.” She casts a quick look at Johannes, then at Satan. “May I go?”

“Yes, you may go, with me. Apparently there are some basic rules we must revisit.” Satan looks at Papa. “I will come to your rooms later. I will finalize details of the alliance myself.” They snap their fingers and both themselves and Imperator disappear. Earth rushes over to both of you, throwing his arms around you and Johannes at the same time, nearly babbling in his need to know if you’re both okay.

You lean in to Earth. “It’s ok, Earth, it’s ok.” You look up at all the ghouls and wolves standing around you. “It’s all ok, I promise.” To Air, you say, “I mean it.” 

Air looks at you, still not exactly happy with the turn of events, but he nods. “All right,” he says grumpily.

As your wolves move over to the table, Special steps over and produces a handkerchief, dipping it into a glass of water on the table, and taps Earth’s shoulder. “Earth, why don’t you clean her up.” His voice lowers as he touches Johannes’s shoulder. “Your king is in crisis.” Jonas is still sitting in the chair, staring at Johannes in disbelief. Tim, Henrik, and John are all around him, trying to snap him out of it.

Johannes crawls over to where his king is sitting, and touches his cheek. “My king... Jonas... talk to me. What is wrong?” 

Jonas finally shakes his head, trying to snap himself out of his stupor. “What did that angel do to you, my wolf? What did I allow? I...I am ashamed.”

Johannes closes his eyes, then opens them and looks into his king’s eyes. “The Clown is part of me now. I don’t...I don’t like him, but he’s useful. And he kept me alive, during the...hard times.” 

Jonas listens, is silent for a moment. “When...he was about to rip her dress, he stopped when he learned it was a gift from me. He seemed shocked that I would give her a gift...would you know why that would be?”

Johannes doesn’t say anything right away, just looks at Jonas’s hands for long moments. Finally he takes Jonas’s hands in his own. “My king, my overly-generous-to-a-fault king, gives gifts like they’re going to disappear. The clown doesn’t know that king. He knows the angel-king, who was only generous with his whip and harsh words.”

Jonas gives Johannes’s hands a squeeze. “What if...what if he meets the overly-generous-to-a-fault king? Would he obey me?” 

Henrik, ever the bodyguard, frowns. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea...”

Johannes shrugs. “Were you able to talk him down just now?” 

“With that foul-mouthed Imperator bitch? No.” 

“Then I’m guessing not. At least, not yet. Maybe given time...I don’t know.” He looks up at Henrik, Tim, and John. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lose control like that.”

John puts a hand on his shoulder. “My friend, I was about ready to lose control. If you had kept it I would have been shocked.” 

Tim and Henrik chuckle, but Jonas doesn't. “No, really, I think this is important, Johannes. The angel-king kept a modicum of control over this Clown. And now that the king he knows is gone...what if you lose control again and he just does whatever the fuck he wants. Like hurt our goddess again.”

Johannes tries to shrug off the concern. “I won’t lose it again.” 

Jonas gives him an exasperated look. “You just fucking did, wolf.” 

“I won’t. And in case you didn’t notice, it was our goddess who pulled me back.”

Jonas scowls. “Yes, after the Clown bit her fucking lip open. Do you want her to go through that every time the clown takes over? If we can mitigate that, it would be a good idea.”

John sighs. “I have to agree with the king, my friend.”

Johannes drops his head. “Maybe our goddess isn’t the only one who needs some training.” 

Jonas puts a hand on Johannes’s head, strokes his hair. “Maybe. And you know, she might like having you alongside her, with your own lessons to learn. It may help her.”

Johannes looks up at his king, then smiles. “I think it would. But...what would I be learning? I know how to trigger the Clown...would I be learning how to come out of it?”

“Probably. Maybe even learning how to not trigger it at all, and controlling it when you do trigger it.” Jonas’s expression is grim. “It would be useful if and when we come up against those angels.”

“It would be.” He closes his eyes, and a last tear slips out and rolls down his face. “I don’t want to hurt her anymore...” 

Papa, meanwhile, swoops in and pulls you into his arms once Earth is done cleaning you up. “My love...that was seven different kinds of stupid...but I’m glad you did it.”

You hang on to him tightly. “Only seven? I was trying for ten.” 

He holds you out at arm’s length, shoots you a look, and says, “My ghuleh, I think our wolf is becoming a bad influence on you.” Then he smirks and brings you in close again.  
You laugh softly into chest, and then you gasp and pull away, looking down over the dress. You heave a sigh of relief as you don’t see any bloodstains on it. 

Air comes over with your shoes, kneeling next to you. “Are you seriously worried more about the damn dress than your own well-being?” He bites each word off, and you can tell that he’s extremely angry right now, but holding it in.

“I’d say it’s about equal,” you say. “I checked myself before I checked the dress, that should count for something.” 

Air glares at you as he gently grabs your foot, the contrast more than a little jarring. “I fail to see the humor in this, little one,” Air growls, barely suppressing his rage. “It’s as though you learned nothing from your punishment yesterday.” 

“I didn’t shove myself in, I was out, if you’ll recall. Punish Fire—he told me to come back in here. Besides, none of you were able to help him.”

Air sighs, half a growl, as he gently slips your shoe back on your foot. “I know. I know, little one, but that does not mean that I like you in danger. You do not stop to think about the consequences, not when it’s someone you love involved...” 

You snort. “Since when was there time to think about the consequences? Unless you wanted Imperator dead.”

Fire scowls. “After the shit she said about you, I honestly wouldn’t have minded. We don’t slut-shame here, and usually she’s the one who upholds that rule above all...”

“Her behavior was...unusual to say the least,” Papa muses as he strokes your back and watches Air slide your other shoe on. 

“I think... I think my presence here threatens her,” you say quietly.

“She doesn’t like change,” Special says, leaning against the wall. “And she doesn’t like not being in control. You bring both of those things, little conduit.” 

You sigh. “Well, after we move, she won’t have to worry about that.” 

Aether steps over and gently touches the back of your head, smiling. “Darling girl, even if my heart was in my throat the whole time, you handled that well. You’re getting adept at saving us.”

You grin. “Well, if y’all would stop getting yourselves in trouble...” You dissolve in giggles as all the men nearest you begin to tickle you. “Ok, ok, I give, I give!!” When you all are settled again, you say, “Actually, Aether, a few things started to make sense during the meeting ... I think I’m starting to understand how I’m making things happen...AND.” Your eyes light up. “I transferred energy that wasn’t my own!”

They stare at you in shock. “You...on your own?!” Aether says with a gasp. “That is an amazing leap forward! You’re incredible! Could you do it again? Transfer some of Earth’s energy to me?” You swallow, then close your eyes. Each man’s energy is there, like a ball of light. Earth’s, tan shot through with green, is calm and soft, while Aether’s is a mid-to-light purple and buzzes faintly. You gently pull a tiny thread of energy from Earth and slip it into Aether’s light, and they both gasp.

“I think it’s a little easier if I’m touching you, but ...” 

Aether sweeps you up in a huge bear hug. “Amazing, darling girl, just amazing!”

You grin, then sigh into his lips as he kisses you thoroughly. He pulls back, beaming in happiness. “You are going to do so well in training! I can’t wait to get started! Come on, let’s go get you changed and get you some food. We’ll start after lunch!” His enthusiasm is infectious, and you grin as you allow him to pull you toward the door. On the way, you look at Johannes, who catches your eye and manages a shaky smile. You smile back, just as shakily. There are things that you need to work out, with both the Wolf and the Clown, but you have a feeling in your heart that everything is going to be okay...right?

Jonas notices those smiles and sighs, flicking Johannes half playfully upside the head. “Go to your loves, Johannes. Tell them what you want to do. That’s an order.”

Johannes salutes his king, then rests his forehead on Jonas’s knee. “Yes, my king,” he says quietly, then he gets up and calls out, “My loves, don’t leave yet.”

You turn and blink, then walk over to Johannes. Papa comes up beside you, and everyone else files out. “What is it, love?” you ask softly, fingers going soothingly to his hair. Papa does the same, knowing the wolf could use some comforting. “Is everything all right?”

“No...not quite yet.” 

Johannes is so quiet, which is so unlike him, that you are suddenly very worried. “Johannes, are you hurt? Did something happen?” You step in very close to him.

He manages a small smile and wraps one arm around you, and one arm around Papa. “I’m not hurt, no...just a little scared.” 

Papa smiles and kisses his cheek. “You are scared of nothing, love.”

Johannes sighs. “I like to let others think that’s the case ... but not this time. The clown ... he...I hurt you, my goddess. It could have been worse.” 

“But it wasn’t,” you reassure him. 

“But it could have been,” Johannes insists. “And my king...Jonas wants me to get control of it.”

“Well,” Papa says, and his tone is gentle. “I think that’s a good idea. Then you can use it, not have it use you. And it would never hurt our goddess again.” 

Johannes looks torn. “But how will I train with it when I can’t control it?” 

The dark pope smiles. “Simple. Special will hold you down in a chair, until you’re able to be yourself and the Clown.”

Johannes stares at Papa, one eyebrow raising. “You know, I’m not quite sure if you’re joking or serious.”

You look at Papa too. “Umm. My guess is he’s serious.”

Papa blinks at Johannes. “Why would I not be? It is a sound plan. You will still be able to talk, but the Clown cannot hurt anyone. That way, you can practice taking back over, and if you are not able to that time, Special can hold the Clown still while our goddess brings you back.” 

You pause. “I...suppose when you put it like that it’s not a bad idea...”

“And it will be an excellent training exercise for you, my love,” Papa says. “The two of you can train together. It’s always better to have someone to train with.” 

“You can be my training buddy!” you say as you clap your hands. 

Johannes shakes his head, chuckling at your antics. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be, sweetness.”

You pause, then sigh softly, fingers curling in the material of his court jacket. “Oh Johannes...I don’t want you to be anything other than yourself, my love.” Then you grin to take the edge off the somber mood. “Except my training buddy, you can be that.” 

Papa laughs. “He’ll be the best training buddy you’ve ever had.”

“You are both the best everything I’ve ever had,” you say, putting a hand on each of their cheeks. “I love you both so much.” You kiss Johannes deeply. “My beautiful naughty wolf.” You kiss Papa just as deeply. “And my beautiful dark pope.”

They both smile at you, pulling you in close, resting their cheeks on your hair and their foreheads against each other. You aren’t sure what training is going to bring, or how you are going to handle the Clown...but you know that with these two men by your side, you can do anything.


	41. O Come All Ye Faithful: A Chiaroscuro Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you discover a new kind of holiday spirit...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration struck, and we created this little standalone for you to enjoy. Two things for you to remember: 1) This takes place sort of outside the timeline of the story ... consider it a dreamy one-shot that sort of slides in and out of the timeline ... so no need to worry about where this fits in with the current action! And connected to that, 2) contrary to what the post says, this is NOT Chapter 33. Chapter 33 will be posting on 12/27, at which time the main story will continue. 
> 
> Happy holidays to all our fantastic readers, and we hope you enjoy our little gift to you!

You stare out the window, watching the snow, flakes huge and fluffy, fall on the church grounds. You breathe on the pane of glass, and use your index finger to draw a little Christmas tree in the fog. A pair of arms wrap around your waist, and Johannes chins himself on your shoulder. "You okay, sweetness?"

"Yes, of course," you say without thinking. 

Johannes squeezes you, gently, and lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Fibs? Really? I thought we were past that, sweetness."

You pout slightly. "Sometimes I wish you couldn't do that." 

He snickers. "A lot of people wish I couldn't. Come on, what's wrong?" 

You sigh softly and turn in his arms. "It's silly..." 

"If it bothers you, it's not silly," he says seriously.

"It's not a big deal," you begin, but Johannes slides two long fingers under your chin and tilts your head up, forcing you to meet his gaze. 

"Sweetness." You try to pull away but he holds you firm. "What. Is. Wrong."

You stare up at him, lips pursed, before you suddenly blurt out, "I'm a little upset because I probably won't get to celebrate Christmas this year." 

Johannes blinks. That is about the last thing he expects to hear. "But...and I'm not trying to be an insensitive prick, but you said that you don't have any family around." 

"That's right, but I did have friends." You smile faintly. "I used to have a bunch of people over for Christmas."

At the expression of disbelief that crosses his face, you shove him, a little. "My apartment may have been a shithole, but I was still able to have company." 

He snorts. "If you say so." You shove him again, and he chuckles. "All right, you win." He runs his nose along your ear, inhaling deeply. "Tell me ... about your Christmas parties...."

You smile, taking his hand and leading him to the couch. He sits and pulls you against him, and you lean your head against his shoulder as you begin to tell him. "I'd clean the whole place from top to bottom and put up all the decorations I could afford. The tree always turned out so well. I'd spend the day before cooking up a storm and listening to Christmas music." You're starting to smile at the memories. "Then Christmas Eve everyone would arrive--" 

"Eve? Aren't you supposed to do this stuff on Christmas Day?" Johannes murmurs, his long fingers slowly combing your hair. 

"Welllll, maybe...but this way people could spend Christmas Day with their parents or families if they wanted. And I liked making my own traditions." Johannes hums, a wordless encouragement. "So everyone would get there and we'd eat and watch A Christmas Carol, and holiday cartoons. And then we'd open presents with just the lights from the tree on, and candlelight too." You sigh, envisioning the scene you were describing.

He smiles. "I gotta admit, that sounds nice." 

"Do you have Christmas in Avatar Country?" you ask him, enjoying his fingers in your hair. 

"Ah, sort of? We have the King's Winter Day, where we give each other gifts and play outside in the snow. There's a snow fort contest, and at the end of the day we put on a concert for the people."

You clap, wiggling against him in delight. "That sounds like so much fun! I'd love to experience that..." You feel Johannes tense up. "I'm sorry. I know you ... Well, I guess neither of us can celebrate the way we're used to," you say, wistful. "It's not like a satanic church is going to have a Christmas party."

"Most certainly not." Papa's voice makes you jump, and you turn to see him walking toward the couch. "However," and he lies down, all but draping himself over you, "considering I have it on good authority that Jesus Christ was born in August, not December, and the early Catholic church took over the holiday Yule to appease converts, we celebrate Satanmas with something very similar to what you described, my goddess."

"Satanmas?" you say, and you can't help but giggle.

"Of course," Papa replies, and he cocks an eyebrow and looks at you. "What else would we call it?"

Johannes snickers. "Tell me you dress up like Santa to give out presents to the little kids?" 

Papa scoffs. "I do not, no." He smiles widely. "My father does."

Your giggles erupt out of you. "That must be the most adorable thing!" You snuggle into your loves' embraces. "Are there Satanmas cookies?"

"Of course!" Papa says happily. "All different kinds--us non-ghouls get sick of cookies before the new year." 

"No such thing as being sick of cookies," Johannes says with a grin, then he frowns. "Now I want cookies. Dammit."

Papa smirks. "Cookies are good ... but I think the two of you might be even more delicious." He gives your thigh a playful nibble and winks at Johannes.

Johannes grins and nibbles at your neck. "We do already have a tasty cookie right here." You squeal and blush, and they laugh, but devour you anyway. 

Later, when you're asleep from too many orgasms, Johannes looks at Papa. "I want to do something for her. Something special."

Papa's smile is indulgent as he strokes you, letting his hand move idly from your hip up your side, then across your back, over and over. "Special how? What do you have in mind, my wolf?"

Johannes smiles. "I think that Chris-- I mean, Satanmas eve, we should let her do her own traditions here. We can set her loose in the kitchen while the ghouls and I clean up this place--" 

"Are you calling me dirty?" Papa interrupts, scowling. 

Johannes gives him a flat look, then continues. "...and you give her a bunch of money so she can buy gifts for everyone. Then we'll watch whatever holiday movies she wants and open gifts and..." He smiles down to you. "And she'll be so happy."

Papa's scowl softens and he leans over and kisses Johannes softly. "You know, you will ruin your reputation if you keep up this sweet and thoughtful behavior." 

It's Johannes's turn to scowl. "Fuck sweet and thoughtful. I just want her to be happy."

Papa laughs. "Hence the sweet and thoughtful. I think it is a wonderful idea, my wolf. She will be so thrilled." 

Johannes smiles and settles in behind you. "I hope so." He nuzzles into your hair softly, and drops off to sleep. Papa gazes at you both, wondering how he got to be such a lucky bastard, and closes his own eyes.

The next few days are filled with activity as the ghouls nearly trip over themselves trying to help Johannes bring your traditions to the church ... or at least in Papa's rooms. Every time one of the ghouls tries to dust, Papa chases him out with an "I am NOT dirty!" on a growl.

Johannes sighs, then lovingly kicks Papa out of his rooms for a while so they can actually get their work done. Earth and Air bring in a tree, and you, Papa, and Johannes are sleeping in Earth's room while the little ghoul bunks with Air. You have been firmly forbidden from Papa's rooms, so as to not ruin the surprise.

The only delicate moment comes when it is time for Special to take you shopping and Papa hands you a credit card. 

"What's this?" you say suspiciously. 

Johannes snorts. "Well, it's either a giant black snake, or it's access to Papa's bank account. Guess." 

You scowl at the wolf as Special chuckles. "You're so funny, Johannes, I'm sure to laugh any minute." To Papa, you say, "I'm not taking your money."

Papa raises an eyebrow at you. "Do you have your own money here?" Your eyes narrow further, but you don't say anything. "As I thought. Please, my love, humor me." He presses the card softly into your hands. "If you truly want to pay me back, give me a blow job." He winks to you, and you blush and just turn on your heel, stomping off. Special snickers, at your shoulder.

"Oh hush you," you mutter as the two of you head to a car and off to shop. "It's not funny. It's ... it's not ... I don't want anyone to think I'm--" 

"Stop right there," Special says. "I know what you're about to say, and no one thinks that. And even if anyone did, fuck 'em. We take care of you. It is our duty, it is our right ... it's our pleasure, precious girl."

You look down, your face burning but your heart is full. You still can’t get over these wonderful men and what they mean to you...and what you mean to them.

Special chuckles again. "Come along, precious, let's go damage Papa's card a little." And before you can protest, he grabs your hand and pulls you along, making you laugh breathlessly as you practically fly to keep up with him.

You go from store to store, looking for the perfect present for each person on your list. Special keeps reminding you that money isn't an issue, to get whatever you want for everyone. After the first few purchases, you finally shrug and go with it. You don’t have it in you to feel guilty right now.

"Some day, we'll get you to the point of guilt-free living," Special says as you pile your purchases in the car. "Today was an excellent start."

You grin. "That was actually a lot of fun. I've never been able to just...cut loose and not worry like that." 

Special grins as he holds the door open for you. "You see? Now maybe you'll go more often!" 

"Don't hold your breath!" you say, laughing.

As Satanmas Eve approaches, the entire church ramps up the regular Satanmas preparations, in addition to what the ghouls and Johannes are doing, until the levels of holiday cheer threaten to overwhelm you. It's just this close to too much ... and you're afraid that your simple traditions are going to look small and sad next to what Papa and the ghouls are obviously accustomed to

The day dawns, bright and cold, the grounds covered in snow. You're nervous, but determined as you head to the kitchens. You have Sisters and Brothers to help you now, and they're all cheerful and glad to help as you cook for eight people.

When everything is mostly done, they shoo you out of the kitchen, promising that they will take everything up to Papa's rooms so you can get ready. And your nerves ratchet up just a little bit higher when you get to Earth's rooms and find them empty. "Where is everyone?" you wonder as you shower, no longer accustomed to doing anything without at least one ghoul helping you.

But as you're putting the final touches on your outfit, and trying not to let your nerves get the better of you, there's a knock on the door and Johannes opens it. "Oh, sweetness..." He smiles and tugs you into his arms. "You look amazing..."

You look down at your sparkly tank top and leggings, hardly the fanciest outfit you've ever seen, then back at him. "Really? I don't--" 

He kisses you breathless. "Don't even say whatever you were gonna say. I'm sure it was something ridiculous, like 'I don't look that special' or whatever, and we don't have time for such silliness." He kisses you again. "You're gorgeous."

You can't help but smile into his lips, and you pull back, looking up at him adoringly. "I really appreciate how you never let me be hard on myself." 

He grins. "I'd rather be hard on you," he says gleefully and nips at your neck.

"Oh, you mean like you are right now?" you tease, your hands sliding down to run along the bulge in his pants. 

"Keep that up, sweetness, and you're going to be late to your own party."

"Isn't it good to be fashionably late?" you tease, and he growls and presses you to the wall. 

"You little temptress," he snarls against your neck, and then he's kissing you hard.

Your hands sink into his hair as helpless little moans escape you. His mouth devours you, his hands sliding down to your hips and hiking you up just enough so his erection presses, hard and insistent, against your core. Your hips return the favor, grinding against him.... 

"Ahhh....well. This is...ha. This...ha. Well...I thought.... You said we had to wait til after for .... this." 

Johannes groans against your mouth. "Little dude..."

Earth, blushing and sweet, stands at the door, quickly closing it. He smiles though, coming closer. "I don't...well. I don't mind helping...if you want."

You let out a little gasp as your head lolls to the side and you gaze at the small ghoul, your vision already swimmy from desire. "Earth...I always want you..."

He smiles and steps up close, pushing your shirt up and your bra down. He latches onto your nipple, suckling softly, and you moan into Johannes's mouth, which makes him chuckle darkly.

"How does she taste, little dude?" Johannes rasps in between kisses, somehow matching the rhythm of his thrust against you. 

"Mmm...better ...better than cookies," Earth says on a giggle, quickly appearing drunk on you.

You can't help a soft laugh, your fingers ruffling fondly through the little ghoul's hair. Then Johannes's hands are pushing your leggings down, and you gasp into his mouth.

The clown drags his lips away from yours, and your whimpered protest is swallowed by Earth's sweet kisses. And Johannes sinks to his knees before you, his lips trailing fire along your skin as they head directly for your pussy. "Johannes..." you say, his name a whisper between you and Earth. 

"What?" he murmurs against you. "If little dude gets a taste then so do I...only fair..." The tip of his tongue just barely touches your clit, and the fluttery movement draws a strangled cry from you.

Your hips buck against his tongue, and he chuckles darkly and presses your hips to the wall to hold you steady. He looks up, catching your eyes and holding your gaze as he sticks his tongue out as far as it'll go and slides it along your folds and clit. You wail into Earth's lips, making him sigh sweetly and mumble, "Your pleasure is so beautiful..."

You try to answer, but your loves have stolen your words, your breath....and when Johannes slides two long fingers inside you and presses the flat of his tongue against your clit, he steals your sanity as well.

Earth laughs softly as he feels your whole being shudder, and he kisses you harder as his fingers roll your nipples. You're trying so hard to writhe against Johannes's tongue, but the wolf isn't letting you move an inch. He suckles on your clit before swirling that tongue, while his fingers fuck in and out of your sopping heat.

They both eat at you, filling their mouths and hands up with your flesh, driving you closer to the edge, groaning their pleasure into you. Just when you're sure you can't take any more, Johannes shoves a third finger inside you and hits your sweet spot just right...

And you explode, screaming into the room. A few Sisters of Sin passing by jump at the unexpected noise. Your hands pull at your men's hair, and they whimper and growl. Johannes laps at you eagerly as the taste of your cum floods his mouth, and Earth squirms against your breasts as the feel of your orgasm washes through his senses.

Your legs crumple as your orgasm finally ebbs away, and both the wolf and the ghoul support you, easing you down gently, Earth whispering soft praises as he helps you drape yourself in Johannes's arms. You rest your head against his chest, feeling his rumbly hum as the wolf says, "I love a good pre-party."

You can't help a laugh. "Now I have to get cleaned up again!" 

Earth smiles. "I'll help. Johannes, you go back and...well. Let them know we'll be...heh. Coming." 

Johannes snorts. "One of us already did." He pinches your ass softly, then kisses you and stands, adjusting himself as he walks out the door.

You and Earth giggle and then with his help, you pull yourself together, trying to hurry despite the fact you still feel shaky. "I hope I didn't ruin everything by being ... late," you say as Earth finds clean leggings for you.

Earth grins. "You think Papa and the others don't know...well. Why we're late? Ha. I'm sure they heard your scream from down the hall." 

You flush as he gently wipes you up with a washcloth, and you get your panties and leggings back into place. "Well...still."

Earth steps close and wraps his arms around you, nuzzling behind your ear. "Nothing truly starts here until you arrive," he says quietly. "Not even...well. Not anything."

Your eyes soften, and you hug the little ghoul closer to you. "You are the sweetest person I've ever met," you say sincerely, and you feel him blush against your skin, but he smiles.

"Let's go," he says softly. "I can't...well. I want you to see everything." He lifts his head to gaze at you with shining eyes and his little smile. "Besides...there's cookies!"

You laugh softly, kissing his cheek. "You are so cute, my little love. I didn't know you like cookies." 

"All Ghouls...well. We all love cookies," he says, grinning. "Our bakers hate Satanmas time."

"Really? Why?" you ask as he gently pulls you out of his room and down the hall toward Papa's rooms. 

"Ahhhh....well. We REALLY love cookies. Fire and Water once had a contest to see who could eat the most cookies, and the contest lasted three days and neither would stop. They each ate hundreds and the bakers quit and Sister Imperator yelled at Papa for an hour." Earth laughs. "So Papa said we can only have cookies at Satanmas."

You can only laugh, having to stop to lean against the wall and wait for your giggles to pass. Earth laughs with you, the memories making him so happy. Finally, you get control of yourself, and you kiss Earth's forehead. "Well, it's a good thing that we made a lot of cookies then, huh?" Earth wiggles happily, then drags you down to Papa's door.

The sleigh bells hanging from the doorknob makes you stop in your tracks. "Oh, Earth...you all are so amazing." 

Earth kisses your hand. "Wait til you see," he says, his eyes shining again. "Close your eyes." You do as he asks, and you hear the bells jingle as he opens the door and guides you inside. "Ready?" You nod. "Look..."

You open your eyes, and your hands fly to your mouth as you gasp. The couch has been moved back against the partition wall by Papa's bed, and the space is now dominated by a massive pine tree that has actual snow on it, kept from melting by Water's control over water temperature. Soft lights of all colors light it up and reflect off the snow, and there's icicles adding to the red and gold decorations. Dozens of presents, some of which you bought for them, they bought for you, and they bought for each other are shoved under the bottom branches. Someone had found a television and shoved it into one corner for later. A grand table is set up with all the food you cooked, and it looks like every inch of the place was cleaned.

Tears gather and start to spill as you slowly turn in a full circle, taking in the strings of lights lining the windows, and the dozens of candles sitting on every available surface. "You guys..." you whisper. "You guys...."

Papa comes over, handing you a mug of hot cocoa. He's wearing a pair of black slacks, a red and green sweater, and he has a Santa hat perched on his head. He smiles softly to you, gently wiping your tears away. "Merry Satanmas, my love. We may have gone a smidgen overboard."

Your laugh is watery. "Maybe a bit. But it’s so beautiful!" You look around, beaming at the ghouls who are sporting huge smiles (and several fistfuls of cookies), and you are suddenly overcome with tears. You let your head drop onto Papa's chest, and Aether is right there to grab your cocoa as Papa wraps his arms around your shaking form. 

"My love, we didn't want you to cry. This is supposed to make you happy," Papa says, more than a little confused.

"I-I am h-happy," you hiccup, hugging him tight as he strokes your hair. "S-So, so happy. I-I'm just...a-a little overwhelmed!" 

At that moment, the bathroom door opens, and Johannes steps out, now clad in a Santa outfit and grinning widely. Your tears turn into great guffaws of laughter as the ghouls clap and cheer, and Papa covers his face with his hands as he laughs with you.

"Come sit on my lap, and I'll tell you what naughty girls get for Satanmas, sweetness," Johannes growls as he grabs you and spins you around, and just that quickly, the mood is festive and bright. Fire turns on what you assume must be Satanmas music and Water pops at least five cookies in his mouth at once.

Presents are gifted to everyone, and there's laughing and hugging and kissing and wrestling and your heart is full to bursting with joy. Each of the ghouls had worked on creating your gift: a blown glass sculpture, colored, of you, Papa, and Johannes, and you sob anew at how beautiful and detailed it is. 

"It takes all of our elements, you see?" Fire says, beaming.

"I do see, and it's stunning." You kiss him, and go back to studying the sculpture. "How did you all find time to do all this?"

Aether smirks. "We're demons, darling girl, we can do whatever we want."

"Except slow down on the cookies, good god damn," Johannes says as he watches Air select another handful. "Freaking cookie fiends." Air gives him the finger as he crunches.

"Be nice, my wolf," you say with a giggle.

"I am being nice. They know I'm just teasing," he says, nipping at your ear. You squeal and squirm on his lap, where you've been for the entirety of the present opening.

"Don't make me drop this, Johannes! It's too beautiful, and I don't want it to break!" 

Fire swoops in, grabs the sculpture and says, "There you go, Santa Clown, have at her," with a wink.

"Why thank you, Elf-Ghoul!" Johannes says wickedly, then proceeds to nip at your ear while he tickles you. You shriek in laughter as the others watch happily, and Papa chuckles as he comes over, stopping you both with a touch so he could kiss the two of you on the lips.

"You are both very naughty, and just might be getting spankings for Satanmas instead of presents," Papa says silkily.

"Be honest, we'll get spankings whether we're naughty or nice," Johannes replies with a playful huff. 

Papa smiles. "Perhaps..."

You bite your lip and tug Papa down for another kiss. "I really hope so." He groans into your mouth, fingers tangling into your hair, before letting Johannes kiss you as well. 

"I saw mommy kissing Saaanta Clown," Fire and Water sing together.

You lean into Johannes as you laugh. "Maybe we should eat some actual food," you say, giggling. "I think the sugar rush is hitting them hard."

The two giggling ghouls pick you up and dance to the table, setting you down on a cushioned seat. Everyone takes their places, and Papa stands and puts his hands together. 

"Before we eat, a prayer to our Lord on this eve of Their unholy day." You all bow your heads and each of you feel a soft kiss on your lips. You smile.

*Thank you for this beautiful celebration, my treat. You make such a difference to all my boys.*

You blush. *I should thank you.*

*You should.* You hear a devious chuckle in your mind. *And you do. Every time you come.*

You blush faintly as you feel a second kiss, and then the presence leaves. You open your eyes and look around, and they're all smiling and beaming to you.

Your blush gets darker quickly. "Don't look at me...eat!" you say as you try to hide behind a napkin. Their laughter rumbles through you, and you focus your attention on food, trying to keep yourself from darting away from the table in embarrassment.

There's talk and laughter, and you look around at your family, and you feel so full of love. For the first time...you feel at home on Christ--er, Satanmas.

Later ... much later ... you find yourself snuggling in Papa's bed in the middle of a sprawling pile of ghouls, a holiday movie playing on the tv in the background. Papa and Johannes scoot ghouls over in order to squeeze in near you, and they all sleepily rearrange themselves so that they can keep physical contact with you. 

Papa kisses your forehead. "Are you happy, my love?"

"Oh Papa...I've never been this happy on the holiday." You kiss him sweetly. "Thank you so much."

Papa smiles, and cups your cheek. "Do not look at me, my love. This was all our wolf's idea."

You turn your head toward Johannes, but before you can say anything, he kisses you. 

"You're all too good to me," you whisper.

"That's because you're easy to be good to," Johannes murmurs. "Now, where’s my Satanmas snuggles?"

You beam to him, joyful tears in your eyes, and you snuggle him as tightly as you are capable of, him and Papa both. You fall asleep in their arms, safe and blissful, and you don't even wake when Fire and Water start a wrestling match over the last of your cookies.


End file.
